Stride Rite takes giant leap by standardising on Manhattan Associates

Leading supply chain solutions provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. has announced that Stride Rite, the leading footwear brand specialising in athletic and casual footwear for children and adults, has selected Manhattan Associates' supply chain platform to run its European Distribution Centre (DC) in Heerhugowaard, the Netherlands. The decision to implement in Europe follows Stride Rite's experience of working with Manhattan Associates in the U.S.

In addition to the Stride Rite brand, the company's product portfolio in Europe includes Saucony, Saucony Originals, Keds, Pro-Keds and Sperry Top-Strider. Currently, the Heerhugowaard DC operates as a radial hub for the distribution of these goods in Germany, Poland, Austria and the Benelux, whilst next year Stride Rite plans to add the UK to the list of countries served by the Heerhugowaard DC. In addition to supporting those regions, the DC will also serve Spain and the Nordics.

The partnership between Manhattan Associates and Stride Rite originated in Lexington, Kentucky, in the United States, where Stride Rite embarked on its first implementation of Manhattan Associates' supply chain platform. Manhattan Associates will support Stride Rite's Netherlands deployment through its well established Benelux Centre of Expertise in Nieuwegein.

"We were looking for a strong and stable supply chain solutions partner to support our growth in Europe. From an organisational perspective, Manhattan Associates met these requirements. From a technological point of view, its solutions offer great breadth and depth of functionality and have proven their value at Stride Rite in the United States," said Frank Warnars, managing director at Stride Rite Europe. "The faith our U.S. team has shown in Manhattan Associates and the continuity in performance their solutions can offer us were also important reasons behind our decision."

"We are very pleased with the confidence Stride Rite has shown in our supply chain solutions. We are committed to supporting their growing business in Europe and to ensuring they are equipped with the necessary supply chain tools to help them stay one step ahead of the competition", says Jan Heijblom, sector manager, Central Europe, at Manhattan Associates. "This partnership underlines our strong experience and proven capabilities in delivering robust supply chain solutions in the international apparel industry."

About Stride Rite

Stride Rite is a leading global marketer and manufacturer of high-end footwear for babies, young children and adults, operating under well-known brand names including Saucony, Saucony Originals, Keds, Pro-Keds and Sperry Top-Strider. 

About Manhattan Associates, Inc.

Manhattan Associates provides global supply chain solutions to organisations that consider supply chain software, processes and technology strategic to market leadership. The company's software portfolio includes five key Supply Chain Solution Suites: Planning and Forecasting, Inventory Optimisation, Order Lifecycle Management, Transportation Lifecycle Management and Distribution Management. These solution suites are enhanced by Platform Applications including Supply Chain Intelligence, Supply Chain Visibility and Supply Chain Event Management - that organise and deliver the information and processes needed to optimise supply chains across functions and locations within and outside an enterprise. A Supply Chain Process Platform provides a unifying architecture that fosters agility and scalability while minimising solution implementation, evolution and support costs. More than 1,200 customers worldwide use Manhattan Associates' global supply chain solutions to enhance profitability and build sustainable competitive advantage.