Goodwill Industries selects Epicor to support non-profit retail operations

Epicor Software Corporation, the business software solutions provider for manufacturing, distribution, retail and services organisations, has announced that Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. has selected the Epicor suite of retail solutions to support its growing retail operations.

The largest Goodwill operation in the world, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin has been providing services since 1919. Over 5,000 Goodwill employees work in 70 locations throughout 23 counties in southeastern Wisconsin and metropolitan Chicago. The organization manages a growing chain of retail thrift stores, which support Goodwill's mission of providing training, employment and services for people with disabilities or disadvantages who seek greater independence.

Having outgrown its existing retail systems, Goodwill turned to Epicor to support the growth of its retail operations -- a key objective for the organization, says Pat Boelter, vice president of Marketing, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, who says the organisation has opened five to six new stores a year over the past several years -- a rate of growth that is expected to continue.

According to the organisation's most recent statistics, more than 5.7 million customers shop at Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin's retail stores and the organization receives donations from some 2.3 million donors. "The more successful we are with Goodwill Store & Donation Centres, the more mission programs and services we can provide to the communities we serve," said Boelter.

Goodwill plans to leverage the Epicor Retail CRM solution to help Goodwill collect and track customer data so they can better understand their customers, engaging them in more relevant and meaningful ways moving forward. The Epicor Retail CRM solution will also enhance their Club Goodwill loyalty programme, which currently has over 900,000 members, by offering customers additional rewards as they reach targeted spending levels.

Goodwill will also utilise the Epicor Retail Store solution to support more streamlined point of sale transactions for improved customer experience at checkout. It will also provide Goodwill donors with electronic records, making the process of storing paper receipts for tax time a thing of the past. "Donors are the lifeblood of our business; we want to make it as convenient and hassle-free for them as possible," said Boelter. "We'll be able to sign donors up right on the spot at the drop off location. We'll scan their card and they will receive an electronic receipt for their donation."

Additionally, Goodwill will leverage the Epicor Retail Audit and Operations Management suite for transaction data verification and investigation in Sales Audit, and which includes Voucher Management to support the processing and management of Goodwill gift cards.

"In this new age of fiscal responsibility, more and more people are discovering the tremendous value for the dollar that shopping at Goodwill provides," said Ian Rawlins, vice president, retail product marketing for Epicor. "Goodwill's goal is to provide amazing value and service to its customers. The investment Goodwill is making in Epicor retail technology will help them continue to meet the needs of their donors and shoppers, and be more efficient for improved margins."

Epicor retail solutions and services are used by hundreds of the world's leading retailers to become more profitable, productive and competitive. Epicor retail solutions are designed to meet the evolving merchandise and service expectations of today's cross-channel shoppers and the business requirements of the most demanding retail environments, with a rapid return on investment, low cost of ownership, and a single point of accountability. Epicor provides software solutions and services to specialty and general merchandise retailers in a variety of industries including apparel, automotive aftermarket, footwear, lumber and building materials, nursery, sporting goods and pharmacy. Epicor retail customers include hundreds of marquee names, from Aéropostale and Automotive Supply, Inc., to Walker Drug and Zales.