Epicor Retail – NRF 2010 Update

Posted by on January 28, 2010 under Retail Software | Be the First to Comment

Epicor has acquired many software products over the years and the retail solutions are no exception. The current Epicor Retail product is comprised of a combination of acquisitions, most notably NSB (acquired 2008) and CRS (acquired 2005). Epicor Retail product is based on the Microsoft .NET platform and they tout the Microsoft technology focus. 

Epicor Retail is a multi-channel software solution that is very strong in the Apparel/Specialty retail market and has a large number of installations. While Epicor can scale from small single store operations all the way up to large tier 1 retail chains, they fit better in the higher end of the market and compete with companies such as JDA, Celerant, Oracle, and others. They are using the Software as a Service model to be able to reach smaller retailers. Epicor implements direct and does not use 3rd party implementation partners.

Here are some facts about the Epicor Retail product:

Epicor Retail’s Retail Management Solution is designed for multi-channel, multi-store retailers in the mid to large size market. Epicor Retail is a division of Epicor Software Corporation which provides ERP solutions to a variety of verticals. Epicor’s Retail Management solution has it’s roots in the retail solutions formerly known as NSB (acquired 2008), and CRS (acquired 2005), acquisitions by Epicor Software Corporation. The Suite is comprised of Store, Merchandising, and Sales Audit products, which may be combined for a total solution. Epicor also supports back end financials, CRM and other product offerings by the parent company.
Company: Epicor Retail (Division of Epicor Software Corporation)
Product(s): Store 6.3, Merchandising 5.0 and SA 5.0. Other functionality is available.
Year Founded: 1984
Ownership: Public, NASDAQ – EPIC
Target Market: Retailers with 5 – 3500 locations.
Verticals: Apparel, Specialty and Department Stores.
Total Customers: 400+ retailers, with multiple locations.
Technology: MS SQL Server 2005 and SQL Express databases on Windows Server 2003 or 2008.
Hardware Requirements: Non-proprietary. See vendor for list of compatible hardware for POS.
Strengths/Notable Features: Store Solution: Usage metrics, POS, Inventory Management, Time and Attendance, Promo Events Manager, Returns Management, Enterprise Store Services, and Data Exchange. Merchandising: Enterprise Data Management, Product Management, Price Management, PO Management, Inventory, Stock Ledger, Invoice Matching, Allocation, Replenishment and Merchandise Analytics. Sales Audit suite also available. Other capabilities include Distribution, Fulfilment (Enterprise Selling module), Customer Relationship Management, Customer Service, Business Intelligence, and Dashboard with KPI’s. Web store functionality is coming in a future release.
3rd Party: Depends on the scope.
Sales Channel: Direct
We caught up with Todd Carlson (Director – Strategic Accounts) at the NRF 2010 show in NY in the attached video. We need to clarify that the SaaS solution is not a separate software product, but is just a different delivery method for Epicor Retail to serve smaller organizations.