"Because of RDi’s integration with Retail Pro Prism, we’ve almost tripled what we're selling now online."

- Amanda Jurgens, Head of Marketing & Ecommerce

How Safety Wearhouse powers growth and tripled online sales with a customized omnichannel solution from RDi and Retail Pro Prism

Safety Wearhouse recently adopted a customized omnichannel integration between Retail Pro Prism 2 POS system and the Magento 2 ecommerce platform, created by Retail Dimensions (RDi).

In an interview with Safety Wearhouse (complete interview below), the positive impact of the integration was discussed, highlighting how it saved time, reduced errors, and improved the universal overview of their operations.

Safety Wearhouse began selling online in 2018 and switched to RDi’s integration with Retail Pro Prism and Magento in May of 2021. The move to Retail Pro Prism was motivated by the need for a system that could grow with them and facilitate expansion. RDi’s integration with Retail Pro Prism has allowed Safety Wearhouse to nearly triple their online sales. Features like multi-store fulfillment and BOPIS (Buy Online Pick Up In Store), and Curbside and/or Delivery have contributed significantly to their growth, while the upcoming implementation of B2B capabilities will further enhance their market reach.

The integration process was smooth and user-friendly, allowing Safety Wearhouse to quickly adapt and implement the new system. The company particularly appreciated RDi’s exceptional customer service, transparency, and ability to customize solutions for their needs. As Safety Wearhouse continues to grow, they are confident in their partnership with Retail Pro and RDi and look forward to exploring further expansions in the future.

About Safety Wearhouse

In 1957, Rankin and Lois Bender founded Safety Wearhouse as a shoe repair company. The business was eventually passed down to their son, Bruce, and his wife, Lori, in 2008. Following the change in ownership, the company rebranded as Safety Wearhouse and broadened its product range to cater to workers in the oil and gas industry.

The goal of Safety Wearhouse is to provide high-quality multiple brands of FR apparel, steel-toe and soft-toed work boots, safety accessories, and more. They offer commercial accounts and in-house custom screen-printing and embroidery with over 20+ years of experience. They proudly ship nationwide, as well as take call-in orders. Still a family-owned business, the company is co-owned and operated by their children and spouses.

Project details:

• POS System – recently migrated to Retail Pro Prism® 2
• Current Ecommerce Platform – Magento 2 (now Adobe Commerce)
• POS and Ecommerce Integration – Retail Dimensions provided catalog, product, orders, customers and returns integration between Retail Pro Prism POS system and Magento 2
• POS Reseller & Consultant - Complete Data Systems

Retail Pro Prism® 2 Inventory Details screen which RDi syncs directly to the Magento site

Safety Wearhouse’s Amanda Jurgens, Head of Marketing & Ecommerce, shares how the department store retailer is fueling both vertical and horizontal growth with Retail Pro Prism.

What has been your history with online sales?

We have been in business since 1957 and have 3 brick and mortar locations. We began selling online around 2018 before we started working with RDi’s integration to Retail Pro Prism in May of 2021.

Why did you switch to Retail Pro Prism?

We switched to Retail Pro Prism because it could grow with our company and expand as needed. We were using another company for our POS and we weren't unhappy with it, but it just couldn't grow with our company. Because we were working with a non-customizable online ecommerce platform, we needed a POS platform that could adapt to our needs as we were expanding. We began using Retail Pro Prism and also switched ecommerce platforms to Magento.

How did Retail Pro Prism facilitate the growing needs of your company?

Our growth had to do with our company expanding our departments – we have the ability to put more people on it. But we had to switch what we were doing because our old POS was very limiting. We were doing a lot less inventory, taking stock, and having fewer items for sale online than we are able to now. Because of RDi’s integration with Retail Pro Prism, we’ve almost tripled what we're selling now online.

What are some of the features you are using with Retail Pro Prism and RDi’s Integration that created this increase in online sales?

Multi-Store fulfillment: We like the multi-store feature because we've always had more than one store. We have been in business since 1957, started out in Mobile and then went to Moss Point. In 2016, we came to Sulphur, Louisiana. And when we started thinking bigger than the platform we were on, we wanted something that could not only do multi store, but also B2B. That was our big motivation from moving from the platform we had to using to Retail Pro Prism and RDi’s integration.

The platform we were using didn't have those integrations, didn't have the ability to customize, and didn’t include these features, so that is why we moved. The multi-store capabilities have made it to where we can actually either ship from any location or we can divide orders, which is a big deal! Because we have our warehouse here, and all our main inventory is here, we split orders with our other stores. This integration allows us to do that without having to go in and do it by hand. It allows a faster transition so that the customer isn't waiting on us to complete it. So it's highly recommended. We interviewed quite a few companies and we didn't have any that were offering that as an option. That was another big motivator for us choosing RDi.

B2B: The problem with our old POS was that it is one size fits all. You couldn’t customize it to fit what you need. It's exactly what it is and you can't change it. We wanted to be able to cater to B2B clients with a separate login for our customers. That was not an option with our previous system, but with RDi’s integration to Retail Pro Prism, it is. Those were our two main motivators for moving from where we were to where we are now. We are going to be implementing B2B within the next 2 to 3 weeks, so that'll be a big step for us.

We have never done B2B work online before. That is a huge deal for us – because this feature will help with expansion and growth in a market and economic climate that requires evolution to be able to grow. And without RDi, we wouldn't be able to remotely think about doing this. So that was a major key point for us in choosing them.

B2B for us means we can offer business customers secure account access, volume or customer based pricing, and putting orders on account. RDi will enhance the process of customer approval and registration, pricing per customer per product, and AR mapping from website orders into Retail Pro Prism.

BOPIS, Curbside and or Delivery: We actually turned that one off until we implement a new policy because unfortunately, customers do not always read the front fine print and so we are fine tuning that for ourselves to better serve our customers. But we do have that feature, and we were using it. Once we've nailed down something that we feel works better for our clients, then we're going to go back to implementing it. But it is a great feature. We've had tons of sales because of it. So I definitely love that one.

Has the integration been able to address the problems you're looking to solve and or fill the gaps you were experiencing in integration?

Our biggest thing was that it is essentially all apart. We can customize it and make it fit the needs that we have that maybe other businesses don’t. We have been able to do multi-store and B2B. We have not found any other system, program or company that we can work with that actually offers that or does that as an integration add on. We've also been able to expand our inventory which has helped increase sales.

RDi was able to provide us with something that no one else was able to do. And in a price point that we felt comfortable working with.

Who were the key players from your company that were involved in making the decision to RDi?

That would be the vice president of the company Bruce Bender. He was essentially working solo and he found everybody and then he and I worked together on it to make it into what it is now.

How did you find out about RDi?

We learned about RDi through our Retail Pro Business Partner, Complete Data Systems. They recommended RDi to us stating that they had a wonderful working relationship with RDi and that they thought we would be a great fit. And so Bruce interviewed everybody and it just fell in place and the rest is history!

Anything else you want to add about your experience with the integration?

The integration is just so easy to understand. It's user friendly, and you walk through it step by step. It's so simple to understand, even a dummy can do it! It is the most user-friendly thing I've ever used when it comes to marketing like this and using this kind of platform and selling with ecommerce.

The implementation is instantaneous, which works well for us because we're able to move quickly. In our market, you have to be first, because if you’re not first, you’re last!

What were the three key factors in making your decision?

Accessibility, transparency and the ability to customize. And if I can add a 4th? It would be customer service because RDi's customer service is amazing.

About Retail Dimensions, Inc.

Retail Dimensions (RDi) delivers powerful integration solutions that automate data exchange between point-of-sale (POS) and top ecommerce platforms. RDi's highly customizable integration technology eliminates the need for manual data entry and unifies online and offline operations. RDi is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, with business partners across the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America.

Related stories in Apparel