Chico's FAS, Inc. Announces Innovation-Driven
Partnership To Enhance & Modernize The Consumer Road
Map
FORT
MYERS, Fla., Aug. 9, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) ("Chico's FAS" or the
"Company") is taking the next big-step in its digital-first
transformation journey by selecting fabric, Inc. ("fabric") as its
Commerce Technology Platform and Bounteous as its Co-innovation
Partner for implementation.
By enlisting fabric and Bounteous, Chico's FAS (Chico's, White
House Black Market and Soma) has forged a multi-touchpoint
partnership that will serve to accelerate the retailer's digital
architecture growth, making substantial strides towards their goal
of building out a "Connected Commerce" platform. One of three
pillars in the Chico's FAS digital-first strategy (Connected
Commerce, Data Centricity and Technology Enablement), Connected
Commerce is an omnichannel engagement which offers customers a
seamless, personalized integration of in-person and digital
experiences, enabling them to shop when they want, in the way that
they want.
This modern management model leverages fabric's best-in-class
services and modular technology, Bounteous' digital innovation and
platform expertise and Chico's FAS' superior understanding of
omni-channel boutique retail to enable rapid testing and swift
implementation across a host of fashion commerce innovations such
as cross-platform shopping, virtual stylist programs, seamless
search functions and beyond. Overtime, the Connected Commerce
platform will dramatically improve each Chico's FAS digital
touchpoint, building an enduring customer relationship that brings
her back more frequently by exceeding customer expectations with
always-relevant content, experiences and engagement.
"We live in a digital-first world, and in continuing to
modernize our consumer experience, we are thrilled to debut this
collaborative alliance with fabric and Bounteous," says
Jay Topper, Chief Digital Officer of
Chico's FAS. "This is a three-way partnership that will pay
dividends within our digital and customer-first pillars for years
to come. We have complete belief in both fabric's platform and
Bounteous as a transformative partner to help us achieve new
heights in our commerce channels, service channels and general
Connected Commerce strategy."
Chico's FAS first entered into a strategic agreement with
fabric, whose roster of clientele included renowned businesses such
as BuildDirect, GNC and MSC trust, in early 2022 to deploy a
cloud-based distributed order management and inventory system. With
over 40% of all Chico's FAS purchases made online, the retailer has
invested substantially over the past two years in transforming its
business model through the acquisition of cutting-edge technology
and talent to establish a digital ecosystem that delivers a modern
commerce experience and meets the consumer's ever-evolving
needs. The powerful combination of fabric's modern technology
stack and Bounteous' digitally unifying Co-Innovation Method that
boasts a track record of success across the brand's portfolio
including companies such as Shake Shack, Domino's and Staples, will
position Chico's FAS as one of the more modern platforms in the
retail industry today.
"Chico's FAS is so attuned to its customer, and its commitment
to give her the very best brand experiences has been clear from day
one. As a company equally passionate about creating exceptional
consumer-centric experiences, this is one of the many reasons we
are excited to co-innovate with Chico's FAS and fabric to transform
commerce for its brands," says Jen
Spofford, EVP, Managing Director at Bounteous. "True digital
transformation requires more than just technology and we're
delighted that Chico's FAS is committed to evolving its processes
and empowering its teams to enable flexibility in selecting and
implementing the right tools to deliver a best-in-breed customer
experience."
"The partnership between Chico's FAS, Bounteous, and fabric
represents the future of commerce, where each party brings their
expertise to build innovative and exceptional experiences for
customers," said Ben Pressley, Chief
Revenue Officer for fabric. "Specifically, the fabric
platform will enable the word "yes" to be used up and down the
Chico's FAS org. Yes to the exact look and feel; yes to
merchandising experiments; yes to lower TCO; yes to unconstrained
growth and scalability; and yes to a modern and enduring
experience. We're thrilled that the fabric platform's open
and modular microservice design will serve as the technology
enabler for Chico's FAS "connected commerce" strategy."
In addition to consumer-facing improvements, this
collaborative partnership will also bring intelligence and
efficiency to post-sale customer service functions. This allows
Chico's FAS to collect and harness insights from the entire
commerce journey, to elevate product, marketing, experiences and
operations, ultimately enhancing customer conversion, retention and
loyalty.
Quick fact - As of August 24,
2021, the Company operated 1,284 stores in the U.S. and sold
merchandise through 66 international franchise locations in
Mexico and 2 domestic franchise
airport locations. The Company's merchandise is also
available at www.chicos.com, www.chicosofftherack.com, www.whbm.com
and www.soma.com as well as through third-party channels.
ABOUT CHICO'S FAS, INC.
Chico's FAS is a Florida-based fashion company founded in 1983
on Sanibel Island, Fla. The Company reinvented the fashion retail
experience by creating fashion communities anchored by service,
which put the customer at the center of everything we do. As one of
the leading fashion retailers in North
America, Chico's FAS is a company of three unique brands –
Chico's, WHBM and Soma – each thriving in their own white space,
founded by women, led by women, providing solutions that millions
of women say give them confidence and joy.
Our Company has a passion for fashion, and each day, we provide
clothing, shoes and accessories, intimate apparel and expert
styling in our brick-and-mortar boutiques, digital online boutiques
and through Style Connect, the Company's proprietary digital
styling tool that enables customers to conveniently shop wherever,
whenever and however they prefer.
To learn more about Chico's FAS, please visit our corporate
website at www.chicosfas.com. The information on our
corporate website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of
this press release or incorporated into our federal securities law
filings.
Chico's FAS Media Contact:
SEQUEL
Sheila Smith
ssmith@sequel-inc.com
203-917-8644
About Bounteous
Founded in 2003 in Chicago, Bounteous is a leading digital
experience consultancy that co-innovates with the world's most
ambitious brands to create transformative digital experiences. With
services in Strategy, Experience Design, Technology, Analytics and
Insight, and Marketing, Bounteous elevates brand experiences and
drives superior client outcomes. For more information, please visit
www.bounteous.com. For more information about Co-Innovation,
download the Co-Innovation Manifesto at co-innovation.com.
Bounteous Media Contact:
Purpose
Worldwide
Cassady
Nordeen
718.644.0273
cassady@purposenorthamerica.com
About fabric
fabric is the headless commerce platform
purpose-built for growth. Customers like BuildDirect, GNC, and MSC
trust fabric for its open and modular design that allows them to be
live within weeks without having to replatform. Fabric is a force
multiplier on retailers' existing technology investments proven to
grow digital revenue by up to 3x. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, fabric is backed by
Stripes, B Capital Group, Greycroft, Norwest Venture Partners,
Redpoint Ventures, Sierra Ventures, Innovation Global Capital,
Ascend Venture Capital, Expa and BC Partners. To learn more, visit
https://fabric.inc.
Fabric Media Contact:
Craig
Berman
craig.berman@fabric.inc
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SOURCE Chico’s FAS, Inc.