Centric Software announces that Varner, one of Scandinavia’s leading retail textile companies, has selected Centric 8 PLM (product lifecycle management) to support its growth strategy across Europe. Varner and their suppliers will use the complete Centric 8 PLM suite, including Centric’s mobile apps for PLM. Centric is the leading PLM for fashion, retail, luxury and consumer goods companies.
Founded in 1962, by Frank Varner, Varner has been running stores over 50 years. The family-owned company rapidly grew into an international business, one of Northern- Europe’s largest textile companies, and can pride itself on having 1,500 stores across 8 countries today: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Poland, Germany and Austria.
80% of the revenue of this € 1.3 billion fashion retailer comes from their private label brands and concepts such as Dressmann, Cubus and Bik Bok. In addition, Varner owns Volt, which includes licensing for J Lindeberg, Diesel and Private label for These Glory Days as well as the jeans concept retailer Carlings, Levis Stores Scandinavia, and Nike Retail Stores Scandinavia.
Varner sought a PLM provider to support their fast-paced expansion across Europe. Centric’s fashion expertise, solutions and customer references made the difference.
“The key to our success has always been passion. We selected Centric Software because they share our passion for fashion, which makes them proactive. They understood our business right away and came up with solutions tailored to our needs,” says Øyvind Bustnes, Varner CEO.
Varner will use Centric to improve assortment by geography and concept. “Centric 8 PLM is a comprehensive tool that matches the way we map our processes. Centric 8 PLM will allow us to better align development, planning and sourcing across our organization. It will also provide better data visibility to help us create quality products and control margins to keep our competitive advantage on the market,” continues Ole Martin Holt-Jacobsen, Head of Business Applications at Varner.
Centric’s local presence was another key differentiator. “Building a Nordic organization with a skilled team close to our office was also critical. We share a cultural fit and we know Centric teams are there to support us,” adds Øyvind Bustnes.
“We are proud to call Varner, a key fashion retailer player in Scandinavia, a partner and we look forward to taking them a step further in their growth ambitions,” says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. “This partnership cements Centric’s expansion across Europe and in particular, within the Scandinavian market.”
