Aptos, a recognized market leader in retail technology solutions, today announced that Prénatal Retail Group, a leading retailer of children’s products and toys, has expanded its use of Aptos PLM to include digital buying and ordering. 

With Aptos’ modern technology platform for delivering product lifecycle management for retail, Prénatal Retail Group can more seamlessly manage its collections, from the first sketch to the final product. 

Prénatal Retail Group operates the Prénatal, Toys Center, Bimbostore and King Jouet brands, and it has more than 700 stores in Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Portugal and Greece. The mission of the Group is: “Making life easier for growing families with ideas that help, amaze and inspire dreams.”

“We have adopted the Aptos PLM solution to improve our operational efficiency through a more rapid centralization of data and the digitalization of the collection development and buying activities,” says Carla Bettazzoli, Product Textile, Market Analysis and Distribution Director of Prénatal Retail Group.

“This choice will allow us to respond more promptly to our customers’ needs and requirements,” Bettazzoli added. “It will also help us manage a very vast assortment characterized by a constant search for innovation, technicality, high quality and consistency with the Group’s sustainability values.” 

Aptos PLM, part of Aptos’ Merchandise Lifecycle Management suite, offers advanced retail PLM capabilities, including creative design, collection development and sourcing, to help brands better manage production and supply chain resources, streamline key processes, and reduce costs.  

Prénatal Retail Group’s current utilization of Aptos PLM spans both the Prénatal and the Bimbostore’s apparel brands in Italy. The solution supports the management and sharing of all critical data generated by its collections, including technical drawings, colors, size specs and bills of materials as well as sampling and production technical worksheets. 

Additionally, with Prénatal Retail Group’s go live of Aptos PLM’s digital buying and ordering capabilities, all product records coming from designers and product managers, as well as volumes provided by planners, are consolidated and shared with buyers, who can then place orders with suppliers with maximum confidence. 

“In today’s fast-moving world, improved communication and collaboration are necessary for keeping pace with shifting consumer expectations and achieving faster time to market,” said Luca Ferraris, PLM Product Manager for Aptos. 

“We are proud of the continued trust that Prénatal Retail Group places in Aptos solutions and of the foundational role Aptos PLM plays in supporting the Group’s digital-first and highly collaborative product development processes,” Ferraris said. 

“Retailers and brands that can break down silos between design, planning and buying processes — and can manage those activities on a single enterprise platform — will achieve greater levels of customer-centricity, speed and agility throughout their organizations,” concluded Ferraris.