Inventory accuracy increases performance
After years of using Eagle software to run the business, today Petitti Garden Centers continues to see improved profits with the newest Eagle platform, Eagle N Series. When Petitti Garden Centers initially implemented Eagle, they were at about 70 percent inventory accuracy-today they are above 90 percent. “It's clear to us that the inventory accuracy we're achieving through process management and using Eagle software is dramatically improving our performance. Eagle analytics allow us to track a lot more accurately,” said Petitti. “Years ago we used too many SKUs and we overproduced, which is costly for perishable goods like plants. Now we barcode our plant material by item, and by item level, in a way that allows us to measure what we're producing, selling and wasting. We reduced our production by 20 percent the first year with this process, because we started producing what was selling.”
Loyal customers and promotions increase traffic and sales
Petitti's relies on the Epicor Compass, Performance Manager, and Eagle Loyalty Manager solutions to assess performance and generate sales. “We run a lot of promotions and look at customer data and market basket analytics to see what the customer bought and assess the profitability of each promotion,” said Petitti. “Our Eagle Loyalty program allows us to keep contact with our customers, reward them for their business, and generally promote traffic to our garden centers. About 80 percent of our customers participate in our loyalty program, earning certificates for dollars off a purchase. We find that on average a customer redeems their certificate toward an $80-$85 purchase.”
Eagle software tools help maximize sales in a seasonal business
“We're a seasonal business, which means that our success depends on how well prepared we are. Epicor benchmarking capabilities enable us to align inventory with anticipated sales,” said Petitti. “For example, this year was a late spring and last year was an early spring. Regular comparisons simply wouldn't apply. With Eagle software analytics, we went back and looked at years that more closely correlate to this season, so that we could better forecast sales. We saw that 2014 was similar to 2016. Over Memorial Day weekend in 2014 we sold 15,000 hay baskets, so instead of scrambling and running short this year we had the hay basket stock we needed to achieve higher sales.”
Eagle Mobile Manager gives Petitti Garden Centers the capability to drive sales by serving customers while on the sales floor. “The Mobile Manager application is awesome at helping us serve customers while we are walking around the store. We can find stock quantities and quickly look up inventory at another store and arrange a transfer for that customer. Instead of losing a sale, we make it happen. It's a layer of convenience and performance for our customers. We can run a pace report to project and track sales,” said Petitti. “Mobile Manager also gives us the ability to track our performance in real time. Wherever I am, I can check the pace of sales. When we have a million-dollar day to make, I track hour-by-hour to ensure that we are on pace. I couldn't even dream of hitting those kinds of sales numbers in a single day before we had Eagle software.”
Epicor is a partner in retail success
Petitti Garden Centers relies on several specialized software solutions in addition to Eagle to run its business. “I understand the importance of our software partners in our success. Epicor stands out with its commitment to constantly reinvest. Epicor listens to its customers and implements what we need. Not all software companies are as engaged with their customers in such an open exchange, and it's a huge asset for the retailer. We see the return on our monthly investment in the system, as opposed to just having a software provider charge a monthly fee,” said Petitti.
“Our partnership with Epicor makes our Eagle system perform for our business. Epicor Professional Services helps us deploy best practices and we use the Epicor Eagle Training on Demand application as part of a certification program for our employees. Eagle software is a sophisticated tool and you have to have great people who understand it and can maximize it. Our success comes from our partnership between Epicor, the community of professionals, and our own skilled Epicor system users,” said Petitti.