SA`s UCS Software finds success in global retail technology market with UK`s Moss Bros

The highly competitive UK retail industry is in the sights of UCS Software, the SA-based developer of sophisticated retail technology solutions, with its first major success with Moss Bros. UCS Software opened offices in London recently to bring its world-leading technology to retailers in Europe, including merchandising and finance management, warehousing and workflow automation.

UCS Software, part of JSE-listed UCS Group, produces an award-winning set of packaged and customised offerings for the retail sector, including its flagship product, ActiveRetail. It has a well-established installed base of customers in southern Africa, many of whom have interests in the UK. UCS Software is actively targeting UK-based retailers, bringing to the table highly innovative design, engineered-in reliability and substantial cost benefits over its competitors.

"Moss Bros is an institution in Britain. We`re a part of the most important days in people`s lives, from everyday business attire to once in a lifetime occasions ... weddings or going to the Palace for the Queen`s Honours List," said Brett Grobler, IT Manager of Moss Bros. "We both sell and rent men`s apparel through more than 140 stores nationwide. Moss Bros spent three years evaluating retail solutions that meet our complex requirements for retail and hire, and found it in UCS Software. It has a proven track record, world-class technology and the flexibility to design systems that exactly meet our needs."

UCS Software`s retail solutions span the market from Tier 4 (one store mom`n`pop operations) to Tier 1 (national chains with more than 100 stores). While the retail market itself is huge (valued by Clarendon Reports at GBP1.1bn in 2003, projected to increase by 23% in 2004), it is still a relatively small family with a limited number of players. UCS Software is taking a specific product set to UK customers to meet known demand. It has already sold to over 5 000 customers in 22 countries, and has seen increasing demand in the UK and Europe because of its strong references.

"The UK retail market is very mature, and very sophisticated," explains Phil Chapman, UCS Software UK business development director. "Retailers here set trends in how and what they offer customers, as well as how they manage their businesses. While the retail tech market is very competitive, there have been no major new entrants in the last 10 years; it has become relatively moribund. UCS Software has been getting attention from UK retailers because of what it has been doing in southern Africa: tried and tested systems, but with a flexibility and creativeness that give the smart retailer an edge."

The retail industry in the UK is experiencing an upswing at the moment, with lower interest rates and high consumer confidence ratings. The "chip and pin" smart card technology currently being introduced across Britain is also creating a new drive towards using better, more customer-centric technologies.

UCS Software focuses mainly on its packaged solutions in the UK, working with business partners. Several have already been signed up under a very strict certification process. As the market develops, more partners will be bought on board to service Northern Europe, expected to become a major market within two years.

"Because UCS Software is SA-based, we can bring our customers some unique advantages," says Chapman. "There are cost benefits to the development teams being based there, as well as bringing a richness of expertise. They have created effective technologies for an extraordinary range of retail environments, resulting in enormous creativity and flexibility in the products. The development teams are also within the same time zones, and share a similar social and retail culture."

The UK office will handle sales and marketing for Europe, business analysis, support for partners and advanced pre- and post-sales support for customers.