Verian

eProcurement Part of Macy's Magic

October 19th, 2010 | No Comments

Macy’s recently unveiled “magic mirrors” that push the boundaries of retail technology.   A mirror, linked up to a touch screen, allows shoppers to scroll through their options, then digitally “try on” clothes in the mirror.

After the virtual images are created, shoppers can email photos to their friends or post to Facebook for opinions. It is truly some amazing technology and one more way retailers are competing for the ever-elusive recession consumer. Read more about the magic mirrors here.

The magic mirrors aren’t the first advanced technology Macy’s has implemented in their stores. In fact, the iconic retailer recently implemented eprocurement technology to reduce costs and streamline their IT purchasing.

In 2009, Macy’s rolled out Verian’s Purchase Manager eprocurement software to all 500 stores. The stores use it to purchase computers, cash registers, scanners, security cameras and other big-ticket items. Users simply log on to Purchase Manager’s online catalogs, search for what they need and “check out.”

By moving all IT spend to online catalogs, Macy’s was able to consolidate vendors and negotiate better pricing. With the spending leverage behind 500 stores, the savings have been significant.

But Purchase Manager saved much more than money. Before the system went online, Macy’s employees were spending too much time researching vendors, comparing prices and searching through countless paper catalogs. Now, everything is at their fingertips and no item is more than a few clicks away.

So the next time you’re in Macy’s, remember there’s more magic behind the curtain. Although it may not be as chic as magic mirror, we think Macy’s eprocurement system is just as cool.

Learn more about our cool solutions for retailers.

Adam Slick
Marketing Communications Manager
Verian Technologies
aslick@verian.com