FEATURE CUSTOMER

Meet Braun's Bicycle & Fitness

Braun's Bicycle & Fitness (Braun's) is a family-run business, which started in 1925. They specialize in bicycles, bike accessories, fitness, fashion eyewear, and car rack systems.

Braun's also has a cycling club called Touring with Braun's. They organize rides every Tuesday and Thursday from May until September with over 200 members! Braun's operates both a 16,000 square foot store in Ontario, Canada, and a web store called Braun's Online. We spoke to Robert Braun, General Manager of Braun's Bicycle & Fitness, who has been a part of the family business his whole life. For more information on Braun's products and services, or Touring with Braun's, visit their web site at http://www.brauns.com. Hear Their Challenge Braun's faced many challenges before upgrading to Infocorp's retail management system. Robert stated, "We were using an electronic cash register which kept absolutely no records whatsoever.

Every aspect of the business was slow and time consuming because of this. Also, the GST (Government Sales Tax) was being put in place and our old cash register did not support this change. Between all of this, we knew we needed to start looking for a more functional retail management system."

Understand Their Choice

Braun's purchased Softwear/POS in 1990 after pre-shopping for approximately six months. "Braun's was growing at a rapid pace, so we needed a system with the features and functionality which best suited the needs of the store at that time, and the extended needs we would have in the future. Infocorp provided that scalability and highly functional software package" said Robert. Braun's still continues to grow significantly, and Infocorp continues to provide them with solutions to their business needs.

Explore the Solution

Braun's appreciates the stability and the user-friendliness of the Infocorp system. "I really value the reliability of Softwear/POS. The system is so stable that I haven't needed servicing in years. I never have to worry about training staff on the system because it's extremely easy to use. Mistakes are few and far between" stated Robert.

Braun's uses close to all aspects of Softwear/POS. A few of Robert's favorite modules include Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, and he uses Head Office Communications along with Remote Location Communications while on the road with his arranged bicycle tours. "Another one of my favorite and most used aspects of the system is the inventory system. I have total control over my inventory and have the ability to manipulate what I am carrying in order to cut on-hand inventory" Robert indicated.

Examine the Benefits

Robert has seen his family business double since 1990, the year Softwear/POS was installed. He needed a solid buying system put in place to support this growth. Robert stated, "Since the installation of Softwear/POS, we have dramatically improved our buying system. Infocorp's software gives you the ability to do this."

Robert also uses Infocorp's Customer Relationship Management to send out his monthly newsletters and to keep track of the Touring with Braun's members.

Envision the Future

While speaking to Robert Braun, he expressed much interest in any new developments Infocorp produces. "We would be interested in becoming a beta site for Infocorp's new developments. I feel the system has been a great investment and benefit for Braun's up until now, that any new product will be able to help us grow in the years to come."