Parable Develops Merchandising Division
Data services continue for vendors and Parable stores
San Luis Obispo, CA — Data begins a new day at Parable. With the dissolution of Triunison, Parable is refocusing their efforts to provide data services for Parable stores and vendors utilizing software and intelligence built from the partnership.
"Triunison helped advance the development of data as a tool to help reduce cost and improve profitability," said Tim Blair, Chief Operations Officer for Parable. "The technology developed through the partnership has been and will continue to be a great benefit to our stores."
With more than eight years experience with data management, providing expanded data services was a natural next step for Parable.
"Today, Parable provides more than just marketing," says Melissa Lundie, Director of Merchandising and Corporate Information Services for Parable. "The company has grown into a complete retail solutions provider, providing merchandising, operations and marketing services to stores."
Under the umbrella of retail solutions, Parable has redefined the merchandising division to focus on three distinct areas: merchandising support and systems, inventory control and visual merchandising. The division is already bearing fruit from Parable Essential Inventory, a program that helps stores build the best backlist inventory mix through statically-proven POS data gathered from 175 stores.
"For the month of December, stores using the Parable Essential Inventory Program were up 3.04%, almost a full 5% higher than stores not using the program," said Lundie.
In March, Parable will roll out the music segment of Essential Inventory. Randy Ross, former music and marketing specialist for Wellspring in Des Moines, Iowa and CMRC chairman for the Gospel Music Association has joined the Parable merchandising division to oversee the development of Essential Inventory music.
"Inventory business intelligence must lead to business improvement," says Steve Potratz, Parable CEO. "Through developing good data and the tools to use it, we are confident that our merchandising division will help make our member and franchise stores more efficient and more effective in the years to come."
The Parable® family of companies includes: The Parable Group, providing catalogs and comprehensive marketing services to independent, locally-branded Parable Members nationwide; Parable Franchising, offering a nationally-branded turnkey business plan for opening and operating new and existing Christian retail stores; and Parable Interactive, serving as a ministry partner hosting hundreds of web sites. Parable, America's Leading Christian Retailers®, is based in San Luis Obispo, CA.
