BBM Partners with Centric

CAMPBELL, CA, Jan 19, 2024 – Baozun Brand Management (BBM) of Baozun Inc., the franchisor that operates Gap brand business in China, has partnered with Centric Software to launch and implement a project incorporating retail planning, product lifecycle management (PLM) and supply chain management (SCM), to empower Gap’s transformation in the local market as it enters a new stage of development. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source, buy, make, price, allocate, sell and replenish products such as fashion, outdoor, luxury, multi-category retail, grocery, food & beverage, cosmetics & personal care and consumer electronics to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Gap is an iconic fashion brand and the namesake for leading global specialty retailer, The Gap, Inc. Since the opening of its first China store in 2010, Gap has achieved robust expansion throughout the country, amassing broad brand awareness in the region. Following the completion of the acquisition, Baozun Inc. runs Gap’s operation in China starting from February 1, 2023. Since then, Gap’s China business has become an important part of Baozun Inc, under the business line of BBM.

As the Gap brand entered a new chapter of development in the Chinese market, BBM sought a comprehensive digital technology solution for the brand’s operations on BBM’s development strategy. The goal was to enhance product design capabilities with a focus on localization, strengthen the responsiveness of the local supply chain and improve the shopping experience for consumers, guided by the principle of “In China for China”.

Given Centric’s rich experience in the fashion and footwear industry and excellent reputation in the field, BBM and Centric entered into a full-chain digitalization collaboration that covers retail planning, product development, assortment and supplier management. This collaboration involves the implementation of two core products from Centric Software: Centric Planning and Centric PLM, with an aim to establish a digital foundation for data and processes to enable Gap’s transformation from planning to product go-to-market through the deployment of Centric Software’s end-to-end solutions.

In March 2023, the two companies officially launched the Planning+PLM+SCM project. Through the joint efforts of their teams and relentless dedication, the project was completed ahead of schedule within five months.

“We are honored to have earned BBM’s trust to undertake such a substantial and important project,” says Chris Groves, CEO of Centric Software. “Centric Planning and Centric PLM will enable BBM to improve efficiency and profitability, spark creativity and accelerate product time-to-market. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with BBM in the future.”

About Baozun

Founded in 2007, Baozun Inc. is the leader and a pioneer in the brand e-commerce service industry and a digital commerce enabler in China. With about 8,000 employees, it serves more than 400 brands from various industries and sectors around the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.

Baozun Inc owns three major business lines, which includes BAOZUN E-COMMERCE (BEC), BAOZUN BRAND MANAGEMENT (BBM) and BAOZUN INTERNATIONAL (BZI). With the commitment to accelerate its high-quality and sustainable growth, three business lines are devoted to empowering its clients’ business and navigating the new phase of development driven by the aspiration of “Technology Empowers the Future Success”.

Baozun Inc. runs Gap’s operation in China starting from February 1, 2023. Since then, Gap’s China business has become an important part of Baozun Inc, under the business line of BBM.

For more information, visit www.baozun.com.

About Centric Software

Silicon Valley-based Centric Software provides an innovative product concept-to-customer platform for producers, brands and retailers of all sizes in the food & beverage industry, food service and grocery retail sectors. Centric Software works closely with customers to achieve more efficient project management and safer product development, execute a competitive retail and product strategy, increase agility, speed time to market and get closer to consumers, resulting in maximized revenues and margins.

All solutions are highly configurable and built hand-in-hand with market-leading companies:

  • Centric PLM streamlines product development, procurement, formulation, specification management, regulatory compliance, nutrition, quality assurance, packaging & artwork proofing, sustainability and product portfolio management.
  • Centric Visual Boards improves team collaboration and optimizes range category management to get closer to consumers, be more competitive.
  • Centric Planning delivers best-in-class, easy-to-use and visually driven financial, merchandise and product portfolio planning as well as store & vendor forecasting for seamless and fast, pre- and in-season execution.
  • Centric Pricing and Inventory leverages AI to drive margin and revenue improvement by influencing demand via price and inventory optimization.
  • Centric Market Intelligence is a market insights platform for data-informed decision-making on competitor offers and pricing. Provides consumer trends and buying behavior as well.

Centric Software proudly maintains a 100% go-live rate. Awarded for excellence by Just Food 3 times, by Frost & Sullivan several times and the recipient of many other regional accolades, Centric Software is proud to provide the best solution, backed by the best team and to partner with the best customers.

Centric Software is a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, the world leader in 3D design software, 3D digital mock-up and PLM solutions.

For more information, visit www.centricsoftware.com.