“One stop garden shop” Plants the seeds of growth with robust system
Logan's is an urban garden center located in a revitalized 1940s-era train station. They provide everything a garden-lover would need to make their yard a paradise. Voted “Best in the Triangle” by Spectator Magazine, Logan's offers their customers exactly what they need-the freshest plants, rewards for buying at Logan's, and an effi cient point of sale (POS) checkout experience-all by using the Eagle system.
Before Logan's chose Epicor Eagle, they were managing their inventory using paper and pencil, like many of their garden center peers. But what they needed was a robust technology solution to gain a larger competitive advantage. They needed a system capable of automating their business operations from point of sale and accounting to inventory and receiving. Most importantly, they wanted to be better equipped to deliver their most important value-“customer service fi rst.”
Business is blooming with real-time inventory
management With over 22,000 SKUs, seasonal/perishable stock, and consumer trends to consider, accurately managing inventory on paper was nearly impossible. Having Epicor Eagle has enabled Logan's to get more accurate inventory data. “Eagle offers us a better real-time view of our inventory. We can see more clearly where our margins are slipping or where we have shrinkage issues,” explains Joshua Logan, operations manager. “It also gives our buyers the ability to check their work more easily and efficiently.”
With a three and a half acre facility, keeping track of inventory requires vigilance on the part of Logan's staff members. They lean on Eagle to ensure the best selection of plants are available for their customers. “We're in the business of selling beauty. We need to keep the nicest, freshest plants we can have in our inventory,” notes Joshua. Not only does Eagle make managing perishable inventory easier, it has increased the effi ciency of the employees as well. “The buyers are able to keep track of a very large amount of inventory. They can accomplish their work much faster than with the older methods we were using,” continues Joshua. “We're confi dent that as we progress and get more familiar with the system, we will be able to do everything we're doing now with even less labor hours.”
Logan's reward program garners additional sales
In June 2007, Logan's implemented a loyalty card program where customers could sign up to accrue points and redeem them each year for gift cards. The customer signs up at the register with a card that has a perforated information sheet on it. They fi ll in their information, which is later entered in the Eagle loyalty card program, and the card is immediately ready for use. With each checkout, customers use their card to earn points, and Eagle tracks their purchases. “The program is both a way to motivate customers to return to the store and a way for us to get some useful information on direct marketing to our customers,” asserts Joshua.
E-mail marketing to Logan's loyalty program customers has been quite effective. “We have seen a tremendous response from direct marketing we've done via e-mail. After an e-mail campaign, specifi c calls to our store increase dramatically. We're seeing a 30% to 40% return on e-mails,” explains Joshua.
The sales information collected from the loyalty program has also yielded impressive results. “Probably the most valuable component of the loyalty program is the information that we've harvested from our customers,” describes Joshua. “It's also been very insightful to see where our sales come from, especially the large percentage of sales from repeat customers. Then, even within the repeat customers, the program has revealed to us that a small percentage of customers are responsible for a great number of purchases.”
Logan's increased the number of new customers added to its loyalty program from 7,000 to over 11,000 customers by the fi rst anniversary of the program. “The business benefi ts of the program have been very worthwhile,” says Joshua. “With so many customers in our loyalty card program, we have a better understanding of their buying patterns and can implement highly targeted promotions.”
Gaining business clarity
With Logan's loyalty program in full swing and their business processes streamlined, the company has been able to reap new levels of service, effi ciency, and cost savings previously unattainable. “It's very worthwhile to transition from the old ways into an electronic point of sale and inventory system. The best benefi t in working with Epicor is having a greater clarity about what's going on in our business,” continues Joshua. “You think you know your business, but with Eagle information, you know so much more. Our business has grown since we implemented Eagle. We're confi dent that we will continue to grow. In the end, Eagle was the best solution for us.”