For brides, prom princesses, and elegant ladies with formal engagements, St. Thomas at the Arboretum is the place to find appropriate attire in Austin, Texas. Offering a wide variety of gowns, footwear and accessories from top designers, St. Thomas dresses the belle of any ball. The boutique serves its special clientele with 15 employees and a full service bridal and shoe salon.

After earning her degree in Fashion Merchandising, Desiree Thomas started her career as the Public Relations Coordinator for Nicole Miller in Philadelphia. Three years ago, she moved to Austin to manage the St. Thomas boutique. We asked her about her store and how Retail Pro has assisted with St. Thomas' retail operations.

Tell us a little bit about your store.

Desiree: St. Thomas is a specialty women's boutique, carrying exclusively upscale women's clothing. I'd say 50 percent of our store is eveningwear merchandise. We also offer an in-store bridal and shoe salon. Our location is at the Arboretum, which is an outdoor, upscale shopping center.

Who is your typical customer?

Desiree: It can vary because we carry such a large selection of items. Our customers range from prom girls to grandmothers of the bride and groom. Due to the addition of our shoe and bridal salons, we have an even more diverse customer base. I find that most of our customers are wealthy, have good knowledge of fashion and are looking for high quality clothing.

How many inventory items does your store carry?

Desiree: Approximately 20,000.

How long has St. Thomas used Retail Pro?

Desiree: Just over 2 years.

How has Retail Pro affected your inventory control?

Desiree: It's affected it positively. Prior to having Retail Pro, we took manual numbers for inventory. It was really hard to keep track of such a large number of inventory items, although the store was much smaller. Since that time, we've experienced massive growth, and it became necessary to have something to really get our inventory in line. With Retail Pro, we know exactly what's coming in and where our money is going.

What was initial reason behind purchasing Retail Pro?

Desiree: I think the storeowners were looking for something more advanced than what they had previously. They knew the store was growing quickly and would continue to expand. They needed a system that was going to be able to hold a large capacity of information, allowing us to branch out into different directions. I worked with Retail Pro at Nicole Miller, so I had some prior knowledge of the system and gave the storeowners my input.

What did you use before Retail Pro for your point of sale and inventory?

Desiree: We used General Store, which was a general inventory program.

“...it’s a user-friendly software program and it’s easy to understand.”

What are some of the most useful features of Retail Pro?

Desiree: I'd say the Report function is probably my favorite feature and I use it almost every day. I'm able to let my sales associates know who their customers are and which items they purchased. That enables them to write thank you notes and other correspondences to their customers. Payroll Reports are also something I use quite often. In addition, if one of our vendors requests a specific report on how many items we've sold in a certain period of time, then I can do that with Retail Pro as well.

Do you find your employees are more productive since you started using Retail Pro?

Desiree: I think so, because it's a user-friendly software program and it's easy to understand.

How has the MAS 90 accounting link worked with Retail Pro?

Desiree: I think it's great. Our accountant handles things on his own. We've had no complaints and everything seems to be working just fine.

What does the future hold for St. Thomas?

Desiree: We're constantly growing and our inventory is changing all the time. We've eliminated some of our smaller price point items and are focusing in on larger price points and bigger designer names. We're considering designating smaller sections within the store specifically for each designer. We may also expand into other types of clothing.

How can Retail Pro help you achieve these goals?

Desiree: With all of the updates we're planning in our inventory, I'd say that Retail Pro will continue to help us track exactly where our dollars are going. It is very simple for us to pinpoint exactly where we are spending. Everything is so detailed on our monthly reports with Retail Pro that it's very easy for us to find a mistake. I think as long as Retail Pro continues to do the things we need, it's advantageous for us to continue with the system.

Thank You.

COST BENEFITS

With all of the updates we’re planning in our inventory, I’d say that Retail Pro will continue to help us track exactly where our dollars are going. It is very simple for us to pinpoint exactly where we are spending. Everything is so detailed on our monthly reports with Retail Pro that it’s very easy for us to find a mistake.”