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"We are not over-purchasing or under-purchasing, so I probably would have to say the benefits of having this new system easily has given us a 10% growth in the business."

Sportech: Winner of Westchester Magazine's Best Sports Apparel & Footwear. With expert service on shoes and sports apparel, they still are in tune with the business side of things. We spoke to Manager Soung Kim about her experience with One Step Retail Solutions and her point of sale software, Retail Pro:

What is so unique about Sportech?

Soung: Well, we're an athletic footwear and apparel store that also specializes in tennis and racquet sports: racquetball, tennis, squash and ping pong. If it is racquet related, we have it. A large percentage of our customers are tennis customers. We are very helpful and we actually give you customer service.

How long have you been in business and when did One Step come into the picture?

Soung: Sixteen years. We got on Retail Pro in 1995. You can figure the math there but that's the only system we've used. The store, when we first got it, was about 2000 square feet and now we are at 5600 square feet, so keeping track of our inventory has definitely helped us make larger profit margins, as well as not over-purchasing, so we were able to turn out a profit and expand the store.

What was One Step's installation and training like?

Soung: Well, we've had a couple different upgrades. It only took us a bit of time to get used to the new features, and the installation went very smoothly. The setting up, the timing and making sure we had someone here to help set it up and install the new program with all the new workstations, was very easy. Now with the touch screens everything works really smoothly and the training was very easy.

What were the first major changes you noticed after installing Retail Pro?

Soung: Certainly the tracking of merchandise was more visible. We can get a full cost of our inventory, see how much is coming in. It really helps keep track of the business aspect of it, as it is a business...

How have you financially benefited from using Retail Pro?

Soung: We are not over-purchasing or under-purchasing, so I probably would have to say the benefits of having this new system easily has given us a 10% growth in the business.

What do you like about having One Step Retail Solutions as your POS software provider?

Soung: They're always there especially any time I have a problem or any time I have an issue, they're always there to help me figure it out and they're right on the money. They answer all of the questions that need answering and they're great with technical support any time of the day, especially on weekends.

How are you dealing with the current economic downturn?

Soung: We recently did a large mailing and sent out coupons using our mailing list to really get the customers to come in and see us specifically. Also we've gotten doctors and local podiatrists to come in and do a clinic to specifically help teach our customers different aspects of physical training, as well as the proper footwear, the proper apparel, to really give them a larger base of knowledge.

Retail Pro also helps with knowing what they've purchased, how they've purchased, to certainly get them motivated and they actually are pleased that we know them by name and what their history is.

What are your future plans for Sportech?

Soung: We see it expanding in regards to having even more of a larger base of clientele, because we are able to keep track of our purchases and really provide customer service. We hope to expand to more locations too.

About One Step Retail Solutions:

One Step Retail Solutions is one of the nation's leading resellers of point of sale / inventory control systems for retailers. As one of the largest retail service providers in the United States, it has supplied retail technology solutions to and currently supports over 3600 stores nationwide which include such varied names as Betsy Johnson, Charles David, Diesel, No Fear, American Apparel, Jimmy Choo Shoes, Anaheim Ducks, Angels Baseball, Staples Center, Ed Hardy, The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Luxury Optical, Sotheby's, TUMI Inc., Valentino, and Warner Brothers Studios. Its corporate headquarters are in Phoenix, Arizona with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Website: www.onestepretail.com.