Holt Renfrew Essay

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Holt Renfrew, known today as Canada’s elite high end retailer started out as a simple hat and fur shop in 1837 Quebec City. Offering top quality cosmetic brands and fashion designers, both local and imported (Prada, Gucci, Armani, etc.), Holt Renfrew provides a uniquely upscale shopping experience for both Canadian men and women. Operating ten stores in Canada, Holt Renfrew offers everything from classics to the most current trends in fashion.
Holt Renfrew’s main customer base is high end. Customers that are looking for various high end name brands can find many at Holt Renfrew such as Prada, Dior, Stella McCartney, etc. and they can find clothes, accessories, shoes, and makeup.
When Holt Renfrew cannot sell merchandise in store, they send …show more content…

The primary DC is 80,000 square foot and was designed as a flow-through warehouse. Picking, ticketing, and tagging merchandise are some of the operations that take place. Depending on the season, the primary DC can receive $40-60 million in monthly inventory and receives approximately 136,000 cartons and 32,000 sets of hangers. On a yearly basis, approximately 3.3 million units of merchandise ships out of the DC to the stores.
A secondary warehouse is also in use to store any merchandise that is not sold in stores and is returned. The 60,000 square foot facility is also located in Mississauga. The returned merchandise is passed on to Holt Renfrew’s outlet, Last Call, in Toronto and Winnipeg, Any merchandise not sold at Last Call is again returned to the secondary warehouse where it waits to be disposed of. Records show that there is an estimated $1 million worth of unsold, returned merchandise in this …show more content…

In the retail stores, managers are complaining of frequent stock outs even though the DC is full of merchandise, which is not moving enough through the supplier, DC, and retail stores.
The inventory issue also ties in with transportation problems where accurate lead and delivery times are non-existent. The inventory turnover is not at its full potential because if the DC has merchandise yet the stores are stocked out, the inventory is frozen and will become obsolete.
Lastly, the stores and warehouses are not communicating well which is resulting in confusion for both parties. Store managers waste time by having to spend store hours on the phone with the DC to expedite demanded stock. This time waste can be avoided by properly organizing the warehouse and having informed workers who can get the job done right and on time. Also worth mentioning is the current condition of the warehouse; there is inventory underneath conveyors and scattered across aisles, making it harder to track down stock.
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