Tailor & Forge opened a new store quickly and easily with Vend
Watch TAILOR & FORGE'S story
Home & Gifts
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Omnichannel
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UK
United Kingdom
Tailor & Forge is an independent boutique selling products that are locally produced or have a beautiful story behind them.
Multi-channel homeware and gift boutique with one brick and mortar shop and a Shopify ecommerce store.
tailorandforge.comAt a Glance
First physical store set up with no heavy lifting.
Using Vend, Tailor & Forge is able to:
The Challenge
After a successful year as an ecommerce-only retailer, Tailor & Forge decided to open their first brick and mortar location. However, to do so they needed to upgrade their retail management solution.
Tailor & Forge owners Scott & Driss wanted a change of pace from the successful design studio they had run for 10 years. With dreams of leaving the corporate world, they bought a motorhome and started a business they could run from anywhere in the world. But after just a year online, plans changed for the pair.
“We were quite keen to start a business that we could essentially run from a laptop anywhere in the world from our RV,” says Co-owner Scott Blumson. “That was the original idea, but then we really fell in love with it. It was being really well received, and we felt we needed to get a brick and mortar store.”
To open their first store, Tailor & Forge needed a system that would integrate with the tools they already had - Shopify for ecommerce, and Xero for accounting. Plus, they wanted to get a better handle on their inventory. “We had stock in our workshop, we had stock in our office, it was a big problem because we didn’t know what was where,” says Scott.
“Once we decided to go with the brick and mortar store, that’s when we definitely needed a dedicated point of sale system.”
Scott Blumsom, co-owner
The Solution
After searching for a solution that would integrate with Shopify and Xero, Tailor & Forge chose Vend as their POS solution.
An ecosystem of integrations was important, “but also how that individual point of sale software worked, as well as the brand itself,” says Scott. “We were particularly drawn to Vend because it felt like it sat with our brand. It was new, it was exciting, it was very people-focused.”
Setting up a physical store was a new challenge, but set up and training was a breeze with Vend’s professional services. With a dedicated launch specialist, there was no heavy lifting setting up their new brick and mortar location.
“Vend is so simple and easy to use, and the team were there at the drop of a hat whenever we needed help, especially when it came to opening and launching,” says Scott.
To complete their retail solution, the team chose Paymentsense as their integrated payments provider. Choosing integrated payments meant no more double-entry, human error, or manual end-of-day reconciliation, saving Tailor & Forge time and money.
“Vend made the whole process really smooth and easy, which was a real big tick during the decision-making process.”
Scott Blumsom, co-owner
Tailor & Forge brings their solution together with the best in retail
The Results
Stress-free inventory management, a smooth customer experience, hours saved on admin and stock taking, the ability to run the business remotely, and smarter product decisions.
Thanks to Vend’s strong inventory management features, keeping track of stock and suppliers couldn’t be easier. “In a couple of clicks you can see everything that you’ve ordered and everything that’s been received,” says Scott. “Plus, stocktake is a breeze with the Vend Scanner App.”
Scott and Driss have also been able to maximise profits and efficiency with Vend Reporting, using analytics to make data-backed decisions. Scott says using the reporting features helps them to decide what they should be buying to increase their margins. “The reports generate such good quantitative information you can make really informed decisions.”
Vend’s cloud-based platform has enabled Scott and Driss to work remotely and check in on sales even when they’re not in store. “For a geek like me, or a business owner, it’s great to be able to see that really quickly in an instant, from anywhere.”
What’s next for Tailor & Forge? Scott and Driss plan to open a second store this year, but “we don’t want it to lose its personality and love,” says Scott. “There’s no reason why we couldn’t get someone to run the store day to day, while we deal with the operational side from a laptop on the road.”
As for whether or not they’d recommend Vend to other retailers? “In my mind, it’s a no-brainer. It just makes life so much easier, in every way possible.”
“Vend makes life so much easier, in every way possible. I’d definitely recommend it to other retailers!”
Scott Blumsom, co-owner
