Oasis Stores plc started trading in 1991 - and saw trade grow extensively throughout the 1990's. Originally just trading as a speciality retailer under the Oasis brand the organisation was launched on the London Stock Exchange in June 1995, having witnessed previous years of stable growth and profitability. Success bought more and more Retail outlets growing to 150 stores and concessions in the UK with a further 40 stores operating franchises across the world.

With a profile of this type two of many key components for the organisation was the technology deployed to ensure Management were always in control of the day to day trading situation at store level and that within store both staff and customers received the service they need.

In 1999 Oasis acquired the smaller business of Coast, clearly targeted at the fashion-conscious 18-30 year old woman and the company was faced with the challenge and opportunity of integrating technology solutions across both brands NSB the experienced Retail Systems integrator - in conjunction with the IT Management at Oasis - developed a programme that was to meet exactly the requirements the organisation needed, based on the Coalition software application and DigiPoS hardware solution.

Retail EPoS Solution - Real Value

Mike Padfield IT Director at Oasis summarised the process:
"We needed a Retail EPoS solution that would be well received and deliver the results across both brands. Running different systems in parallel across two brands was simply not productive and the Coalition-DigiPoS solution delivered in what we needed - the information and processing we needed we a real value hardware technology solution."

IBM had previously had systems installed in Oasis - but these were removed in favour of the DigiPoS solution. "The DigiPoS part of the installation was important to us" states Oasis FD, Richard Glanville "... as it represented a real blend of well designed, ergonomic hardware which is of course particularly important in a retail business such as ours, but at the same time delivered the optimum in terms of performance and price - likewise critical to us."

Speaking on behalf of PCPOS, Ian Patterson, MD identified the key points the company felt had ensured they became the supplier in this case: "At PCPOS we develop and market retail specific solutions - and work hand in hand with partners such as NSB. This dynamic relationship ensures that time and again Retailers and looking past some of the history and re-assessing for themselves exactly what can be purchased for the Retail Technology Pound. We are confident that the DigiPoS solution represents the absolute best value in terms of specification, performance and price".

Oasis continue to develop their retailing brands with the DigiPoS solution still central to the instore IT.