Vermont Country Store Picks CommercialWare Cross-Channel Solution

An announcement today from CommercialWare Inc. informs us that The Vermont Country Store has selected CommercialWare's cross-channel commerce solution to integrate its retail, catalog, web and contact center operations.

The Vermont Country Store is a unique 60-year-old business with two large rustic-themed retail stores in Rockingham and Weston, Vermont, and an extensive catalog business.

CommercialWare offers a suite of cross-channel commerce applications targeted at retail operations. Its customers include Abercrombie & Fitch, Ritz Camera, Jos. A. Bank and Patagonia. CommercialWare's release today is careful not to use the term "CRM" to describe the company's suite, but the release does say that the system sold to The Vermont Country Store:

1) Provides a user interface "that easily lets the customer service representative view all customer data, link to shipping information, track customer purchases, and in real-time check inventory of a specific item";

2) Allows the call center "to improve cross-sell and up-sell opportunities to the customer based on previous purchases and requests for items";

3) Enables the company to "track customer buying habits across all its channels."

And CommercialWare's boilerplate says that they develop:

"Cross-channel commerce infrastructure solutions that allow retailers and direct marketers to optimize transactions from all customer touch points. CommercialWare's comprehensive portfolio of products seamlessly links all aspects of the transaction lifecycle through point-of-sale, back-office, order management, fulfillment, customer service, collaboration, and analytics applications."

They do use the phrase "business intelligence" in connection with their products, but to steer away from the "CRM" term altogether seems odd to me -- at least they would have to be considered a near cousin. Oh well, not worth quibbling over -- it can be hard to second-guess somebody else's thinking about positioning.

If you're ever heading up to ski country, The Vermont Country Store's Rockingham store is not far off I-91 near Bellow Falls. Take exit 6 and go west on Route 103. The store is only about a mile away on the left. It's a fun place to visit (I used to live just up the road at Brockway Mills). You can order many unique products from their web site, but actually their paper catalog is more fun -- go here to request it.

AB -- 12/19/05