Spring 2007

Kiabi, one of France's leading 'value-clothing' fashion retailers, says it has completely overhauled its supply chain operation by introducing a warehouse management system from Manhattan Associates.

In particular, it has gained the ability to replenish every single one of the hundreds of thousands of items it sells every day. It has also gained more flexibility - for instance to vary picking waves after they have been initiated.

Kiabi products are sold through the company's own 160 stores, and online through its own web site. It has five distribution centres spread through France, Belgium and Spain, each of which handles a specific product range. The company says this has proved the best arrangement for meeting the supply requirements of both its store and online channels.

It employs 6,000 staff and fulfils more than 40,000 store orders every year, amounting to 95 million individual items.

The company worked with French analyst CXP on its new system, which has now been rolled out to four of its distribution centres. The next one to go live will be at Tournai in Belgium, and a sixth in northern France will be converted in two years' time.