Crew Clothing expands digital operations for retail growth

Crew Clothing has expanded its use of Cegid Retail Store Excellence across its 124 British stores, aiming to improve store operations and maintain consistent standards as it scales. The platform is also now utilised by sister brands Ben Sherman and Salt Rock, covering a total of 217 locations across the UK.

Process integration

The move consolidates task management, store communications and photo-led visual merchandising into one system. This development gives Crew Clothing's head office real-time visibility over its store estate. Store teams now rely less on traditional spreadsheets and email threads, instead completing checklists and managing communications through one digital channel.

By digitising these aspects, Crew Clothing's staff can highlight issues, request support, and report on progress more efficiently. These capabilities support the company's multi-brand growth and contribute to its Click & Collect service, which remains central to its retail strategy.

Operational clarity

Bailey Collett, Operations Coordinator at Crew Clothing, said the system underpins daily operations in the store.

"Cegid Retail Store Excellence has become the operating system for our stores. We simply couldn't run retail operations at our current scale and pace without it. It gives every colleague, from store managers to sales advisors, the clarity, consistency and real time information they need, so they can focus on customers rather than chasing emails and spreadsheets," said Bailey Collett, Operations Coordinator, Crew Clothing.

Visual merchandising

The visual merchandising team uses Cegid's platform to upload photos, capture feedback, and promote best practices. The collaboration between Crew Clothing and Cegid has resulted in new forms and checklists, with suggested improvements incorporated into product development. This joint approach is leading to updated features that reflect the needs of store teams.

Collett said the relationship with Cegid goes beyond standard software delivery.

"What we value most is Cegid's responsiveness and the way the platform evolves with our needs. It scales effortlessly across multiple brands while preserving their identity, and it keeps standards consistent as store managers work across Crew Clothing, Ben Sherman and Salt Rock," said Collett.

Training and rollout

The decision to adopt Cegid Retail Store Excellence was driven by the retail operations function under the leadership of Operations Manager Charlie Eaves. Structured training and implementation support from Cegid enabled Crew Clothing to deploy the platform quickly while retaining oversight of change management processes.

Looking forward

Crew Clothing is now collaborating with Cegid on new engagement tools, including gamification features, as part of a broader co-innovation effort. This initiative builds on feedback from store employees and reflects a commitment to ongoing operational improvements.

Alan Holcroft, UK & Northern Europe Country Manager at Cegid, provided an external perspective on the project's aims.

"Crew Clothing is a great example of how retailers can raise standards, simplify daily work for store teams and run multi-brand operations from a single platform. Cegid Retail Store Excellence brings structured, two way communication between head office and stores, ensures consistent execution and creates the conditions for great customer experiences, every day in every location," said Alan Holcroft, UK & Northern Europe Country Manager, Cegid.