- Sector :
- Department Store, Fashion, Home & Lifestyle Retail
- Location:
- Lytham
- Features:
- Cloud-based EPOS, purchase ordering, goods-in workflows, live reporting, customer insight, sales analysis
- Results:
- Greater operational agility, faster stock movement, improved reporting, better customer insight and a stronger foundation for modern retail
A Contemporary Department Store with Deep Roots
Blending heritage, personal service and carefully curated retail in the heart of Lytham
Stringers Department Store has been part of life in Lytham for generations.
What began as a drapery store in 1852 has evolved into one of the Fylde coast’s best-known independent department stores, combining fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle retail under one roof while remaining deeply connected to the town and the people who shop there.
The business has been run by three generations of the Clarke family since 1957, and that sense of continuity still shapes the experience customers enjoy today.
Whilst it is a business with a proud history, Stringers is not a retailer standing still.
Walk through the store, and you quickly see the balance it has worked hard to create. Heritage and contemporary retail sit comfortably alongside one another. Established luxury beauty brands share space with modern fashion labels. Homeware, gifting and lifestyle ranges are carefully curated rather than simply stocked.
… and that word is important: Curated
The products are chosen with intent. The customer experience is shaped carefully. Service is personal, knowledgeable and relationship-led.
However, the world of retail never stops; businesses must continue to evolve to respond to changing customer tastes and to enhance their processes to remain efficient and profitable…
In this case, that meant investing not just in the shop-floor experience that customers can see, but also in the operational systems that support the business behind the scenes.
A Store Customers Genuinely Care About
The kind of independent retailer people return to again and again
Much of Stringers success comes down to relationships.
Spend time reading customer feedback and the same themes appear repeatedly: warmth, helpfulness, trust and the enjoyment of shopping in a business that still feels personal.
Customers regularly post reviews online:
Keeping Pace with Changing Retail Expectations
Why modern independent retailers need better visibility, greater agility and systems that evolve
The goal was never ‘just’ to replace an EPOS system. The owners wanted technology that could better support how modern retail operates.
Customer expectations continue to rise. Shopping habits are changing. Retail teams need better visibility, quicker access to information and greater operational flexibility than ever before. Decisions around buying, replenishment and customer engagement increasingly depend on accurate, accessible data.
The previous system had reached its limits. Processes around purchase ordering and goods-in remained labour-intensive, and obtaining the operational detail needed to make fast, confident decisions often took more effort than it should have.
Stringers manages a broad (and constantly evolving) mix of fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle products, with new collections arriving regularly and customer trends changing quickly throughout the year. Stock needs to move efficiently from supplier to shop floor, while the buying team needs clear visibility into what customers are responding to.
The business wanted a platform that could better support those requirements.
Management’s aim was clear: create a more agile, hosted retail platform to help the business continue delivering the contemporary, inspiring shopping experience that customers associate with Stringers.
Building a Stronger Operational Foundation
Creating a more connected retail platform to support buying, reporting and day-to-day decision making
EPOS Cubed implemented Storefront™, our modern cloud-based retail platform across the department store.
The wider project focused on helping the business simplify operational workflows while improving access to the information needed to support faster, more informed retail decisions.
Key areas included:
- Improved purchase ordering workflows.
- More efficient goods-in processes.
- Clearer sales and customer insight.
- Live reporting and operational visibility.
- Faster access to business performance information.
- A hosted platform designed for greater agility and future development.
- Reduced operational issues across day-to-day retail tasks.
The end result is technology that is aligned with how contemporary independent retail works. A dependable platform that gives the team better visibility, stronger operational control and a more connected view across the business.
buying & merchandising
Visibility for Buyers
Good buying decisions depend on good information.
Storefront™ gives the Stringers team clearer visibility into sales trends, customer behaviour and product performance, helping buyers respond more quickly to demand and make more informed merchandising decisions across the store.
That visibility is crucial in a business where ranges evolve constantly, and customers expect fresh, contemporary products year-round.
Faster Delivery to Shop Floor
Improvements to purchase ordering and goods-in processes have helped management reduce behind-the-scenes operational headaches, allowing the team to respond more quickly to customer demand and manage stock flow more efficiently.
Future Ready EPOS
Retail technology and customer expectations are now closely connected.
Storefront™ provides a more agile, hosted environment that supports ongoing development, operational flexibility and better access to information, helping the business continue investing confidently into the future.
Inside Stringers Department Store
Fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle collections brought together with exceptional customer service
What This Means for Modern Independent Retail
Reflections from a department store continuing to invest in service and retail success
- Accurate information is crucial: Better visibility helps you respond more quickly to changing customer demand.
- Operational efficiency shapes the customer experience: Faster goods-in and better workflows behind-the-scenes contribute to a smoother shopping experience.
- Independent retail still thrives on relationships: Technology should support personal service, not replace it.
- Invest before problems become critical: The strongest retailers continue evolving while protecting the qualities customers already value.
