Normal is a retail chain that sells everyday products at low prices. Based in Denmark, Normal opened its first store in 2013 and today operates over 230 stores across Europe. Normal´s strategy is to purchase popular products in bulk straight from the distributor. This allows them to reduce costs and lead on price in their market segment. In addition to being affordable, Normal aims to stay innovative with continuously new product assortments that inspire their customers. Normal promises exciting products and an inspiring shopping experience.
The business case
In just a few years, Normal expanded from one store in Denmark to over 270 stores in multiple countries. Their IT demands grew alongside their brand. In 2013, Normal was using a simple solution, but this was not scalable to the extent the company required. The company began to look for a software solution that could support their business ambitions and which included tools to manage Normal’s competitive pricing.
The solution
After considering a few different software solutions, Normal decided that LS Retail’s unified commerce software was best suited in terms of functionality and support for growth.
When Normal first started the process of implementing LS Retail software, they hadn’t anticipated they would continue their expansion at such high speed. As their growth could not decelerate, it was decided to implement and roll out the LS Retail software alongside the opening of several new stores. While the implementation was ongoing, Normal opened 22 additional stores. Eventually, in just ten weeks, the team managed to roll out the system, converting 47 stores to the new solution while making sure to meet new requirements that evolved during the course of the project.
Benefits
With LS Retail software to cover its whole business, from ERP to every POS in the stores, Normal can finally enjoy unified commerce in action. The company now has consistent data across the channels, and this data can more easily be accessed and analyzed as it is collected in one database. The insights Normal draws from its new software give the business a competitive advantage.
Normal decided to avoid customizations, opting instead for the same standard solution across all stores and countries. This streamlined, standardized approach to IT has generated greater efficiency and productivity.
