CenterStone Technologies, Inc. announced that Easton-Bell Sports has chosen to partner with CenterStone Technologies and selected the company's iVendix cloud computing application for all of its brands; Bell, Giro, Specialty, Blackburn, Easton Baseball, Easton Softball, Easton Hockey, Easton Lacrosse, Easton Cycling, and Riddell Sports. When the iVendix B2B solution goes 'live' later this spring, these brands will provide a business-to-business (B2B) online ordering solution for their retail accounts and sales reps. Retail accounts and sales reps will be able to view automated catalogs, check product availability, place orders and track and monitor the status of those orders using iVendix because it is accessible 24/7 via the Web. "We chose CenterStone based upon a proven ability to help customers expand their B2B capabilities with an easy-to-use application. As our global footprint grows we want to make sure we have a solution that is capable of growing with us and iVendix fits the bill," said Robby McDonald, vice president of information technology for Easton-Bell Sports. "The international experience CenterStone brings to the table will greatly increase our abilities in these global markets. The integration with SAP was a major concern CenterStone's iVendix is able to address as one of the most flexible systems in the market. The sales programs, discounts, and relationships with our vendors provided us with some very specific requirements that CenterStone could handle out of the box - which made our decision that much easier when we compared them to their competitors." "Through our many clients we have observed the specialty retail market changing dramatically. Manufacturing companies need to align their cost structures to improve the efficiency and execution of their businesses," said Tom Detmer, CEO of CenterStone Technologies. "There is no denying the current economic climate is extremely challenging, but this is the best time for aggressive companies to take market share from their peers by placing their customers first in terms of service. As more and more pressure is put on independent specialty retailers, they need business partners (suppliers) who can be responsive to them 24 hours a day, every day of the week, with the most up to date information. It's just a reflection of the times we live in; if you are aggressive and put your customers first, you are more likely to succeed. "We are excited that Easton-Bell Sports has recognized the potential of iVendix as their B2B e-commerce solution, and with more than 22,000 active users of our Web-based application, we are confident that, when the solution is 'live,' dealers will also be quick to embrace iVendix for Easton-Bell Sports, and their brands."

The ispo e-Lounge gathers leading B2B e-Tools providers into one place for convenient access to useful information and quick answers to all of your questions. It will help bringing you up to speed on B2B e-business in the sporting goods industry and provide you with tools that can dramatically benefi t your business. Stop by the ispo e-Lounge located right inside the West Entrance. FREE DAILY E-SEMINARS – EVERY DAY AT 3 P.M. Every day from 3.00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in conference room B31, upstairs from Hall A3, the ispo e-Lounge will be hosting a free e-Seminar. You’ll hear informative presentations from top industry professionals and get important information on bringing your B2B e-business to the next level. DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP Attending an e-seminar could be the start of a competitive advantage. Sign up at the ispo e-Lounge in the West Entrance by 1:00 p.m. each day, and get all of your questions answered. You will be glad that you did!

For the fifth consecutive year, CenterStone Technologies reported record numbers for transactions processed through its iVendix and Escape B2B ecommerce applications in 2009. The company predicts that adoption of Web-based B2B wholesale ordering will continue to grow in 2010 as companies realize the competitive advantage that opening up their brands for business 24/7 provides them. The company’s solutions have widespread adoption among specialty retailers and sales reps and help to expand the marketplace for vendors by enabling retail dealers and sales reps to view online catalogs, check inventory availability, create sales proposals and place both preseason orders and reorders more effectively and efficiently with their vendors. "Our numbers are up dramatically again this year," reported Tom Detmer, CEO of CenterStone Technologies. "As you’d expect given the economy, dollars through the system grew at a slower pace than in past years, but we were thrilled to see that the number of iVendix users (31% increase), logins (28% increase) and individual orders (27% increase) continued on their meteoric rise. As well, for the first time in our company’s history, wholesale dollars processed through our iVendix B2B platform, on behalf of our customers, surpassed $1 Billion US dollars." "We believe these numbers demonstrate the acceptance of our solution by sales reps and the specialty retail community," commented Dave Mathias, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, "and we couldn’t be more excited as we move into 2010." Greater Level of Service! "These challenging economic times dictate that all manufacturing companies look for ways to improve the efficiency and execution of their business," continued Detmer. "The specialty retailing community faces similar challenges, and vendors need to look for new ways to foster the continued viability of this important channel. CenterStone helps its clients collaborate with their specialty retail channel by allowing buyers to get the very latest information on current and future availability, as well as product and price. Specialty retail orders through iVendix increased 45% last year continuing a trend towards more frequent restocking orders and demonstrating the specialty retail community’s concern over excess inventory. Clearly, B2B is gaining adoption rapidly and learning one system for multiple vendors is what retailers tell us makes it easiest on them. Having a well branded, but easy to use B2B e-commerce solution, is now an absolute necessity for those brands that want to stay competitive." Increased ROI with B2B e-commerce solutions! CenterStone said it has witnessed an enormous ground swell of interest in B2B technology as manufacturers have come to understand the value of B2B in driving down the cost of sales as well as its importance in helping to grow top-line sales. Research shows compelling evidence that those manufacturers with B2B solutions – who are therefore easier for specialty retailers to do business with – receive a larger share of retailers’ dollars. Brands currently using CenterStone’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and making the company’s solutions available to retail customers and sales reps include: The North Face, Vans, Reef and VF Imagewear, part of VF Corporation; Pearl Izumi, Marmot Mountain, Ex Officio and Marker Apparel, brands of Jarden Corporation; Under Armour; Helly Hansen; Merrell, CAT, and Sebago (Europe) part of Wolverine Worldwide; SmartWool, part of Timberland (NYSE: TBL); RipCurl (Europe); Hurley; Canada Goose; Icebreaker; Fresh Produce Sportswear; Yakima Products; Billabong; Patagonia Europe; Life is good; New Balance (Europe); The Orvis Company and others.

CenterStone Technologies, Inc. announced today that Canada Goose, the Canadian manufacturer of iconic down jackets and outerwear, has selected the company’s iVendix Software-as-a-Service (Saas) application. Our investment in the implementation of this technology demonstrates another example of how we are working to ensure our customers leading edge service applications that can help them leverage the benefits of products being manufactured in Canada and all that means in terms of at-once and in-season orders.” said Dani Reiss, President & CEO at Canada Goose. “Through our growing client list and metrics as recent as August we have observed the specialty market changing dramatically over the last 6 to 9 months, and, at the very least, we can say this year more retailers and sales reps are finding more information and placing more orders through iVendix by a very substantial amount. As manufactures work to align their cost structures and improve efficiency and execution; implementing a B2B initiative is being viewed as the “best practice” for transactional management,” said Tom Detmer, CEO of CenterStone Technologies. “There is no denying these are stressful economic times, but they are also the best time for proactive brands to better position themselves within the marketplace by placing their customers first in terms of service.” As more and more pressure is put on independent specialty retailers, they need business partners who can be responsive to them 24 hours a day, every day,” continued Detmer.

Discover the latest iVendix release (2.1) including new features and an improvement of the current user interface. Throughout iVendix, icons have been modernized to make the access to key features easier. A shortcut to Order Status has been added on the main toolbar. The current order process has been simplified by creating a single order creation point called “Create Order.” Users can now choose either the "At Once" or "Booking" workflow and select their ordering options from one single screen. When using the at once workflow, reps and dealers will immediately notice many improvements: Improved help text and tips ; 1, 2, 3, 4 Step by step ordering flow ; ability to exclude products with no inventory from search results. This option is also available in inventory reports. Link to Inventory Legend always visible. Suppliers can also now indicate product discounts directly on the ordering screen and all acknowledgements and ship notices for an order are displayed on the same page.

CenterStone Technologies - the international provider of B2B e-Commerce solutions for manufacturers selling through specialty retail channels, announced today that the Lafuma brand has selected the company’s iVendix cloud computing application. iVendix will provide Lafuma dealers with a 24/7 online ordering solution in Europe and in the US. They will be able to view automated catalogues, check on the availability of product, place orders, and track and monitor the status of those orders using iVendix. “Lafuma understands the urgency of modernizing the way of conducting business with retailers through more efficient processes, real time information, and better customer service. Through iVendix, other brands of the Lafuma group – Oxbow, Ober Jeans have provided their dealers will the flexibility to conduct business at their convenience and thus, better serve consumers at the point of sale. Now we will extend this innovative service to the Lafuma brand. First to our Furniture clients and later this summer to our Outdoor clients. A competitive advantage that will certainly contribute to stimulate Lafuma global sales and reinforce the attractiveness of the brand”, said Romain Passot – Sales director Lafuma Europe. “On the US market, we felt that five of the Lafuma Group brands needed a proven B2B solution that would be quickly adopted by our retailers, commented Guillaume Linossier, GM of Lafuma Group USA. CenterStone’s iVendix B2B solution has a proven track record of adoption in our industry. We were looking for the best B2B e-commerce platform available and a vendor with a history of helping clients showcase their brands within the specialty retail community. iVendix is an industry standard with a history of being the most widely accepted B2B e-commerce solution. CenterStone will open up the Lafuma, Millet, Eider, Killy and Oxbow brands for business 24/7 by allowing our dealers to place orders at their convenience, any time of day or night. The Lafuma Group is committed to its retail partners, and our new B2B solution will insure that we are also the easiest company for specialty retailers to purchase from, which will further differentiate our brands and provide additional value to our dealers added Linossier.” About Lafuma Lafuma is not only the name of the Group, but also the name of a brand, one that has been outfitting alpinists, hikers, campers and travellers with the same level of experience and expertise since 1930. Lafuma is a natural choice for outdoor adventurers. Today, Lafuma covers a variety of activities including camping and garden furniture, exclusively made in France, with full lines of armchairs, sun beds, chaises longues and tables. Innovative industrial design keeps the brand vibrant and consistent with the demands of end users. The brand conquered most of the world’s major summits, along with the sports-nature market. It was one of the first leaders in Europe to offer such a wide spectrum of products. The recipe has proven effective with the brand ranking sixth worldwide and ambitions that do not end there. In 2008, camping furniture represents 27% of the Lafuma turnover (29.5 M€).

CenterStone Technologies, Inc., an international developer of Web-based sales order management software for manufacturers of apparel, footwear and accessories today announced that 180s is live on the company’s iVendix software application. iVendix will provide 180s with a business-to-business (B2B) online ordering solution for their retail dealers and sales reps. Now that 180s is live on iVendix, dealers and sales reps will be able to view automated catalogs, check on the availability of product, place orders, and track and monitor the status of those orders since it is accessible 24/7 via the Web.

“Providing superior customer service to our specialty retail accounts is vitally important to 180s. Although we have great products, we also want to be certain that we help our retail partners keep their shelves and racks stocked with these same great products. To do that, we need a state-of-the-art B2B solution. In our mind, a proven solution is one that our retailers will quickly adopt, and in the outdoor recreation, snow sports and the sporting goods industries CenterStone has become the industry standard. With many thousands of specialty retailers already using their iVendix application, we are confident that 180s’ dealers will also be quick to embrace CenterStone’s solution. We can easily update special offers to buyers and provide updates on new products or additional inventory with timely buyer-specific outreach. We also expect that our new B2B solution will limit the exchange of paper documents between our dealers and sales reps and will reinforce 180s’ commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Susan Shafton, CEO of 180s.

“180s is known as an innovative brand that has rapidly captured a large percentage of the accessory business in the active sports and lifestyle markets. Theirs is a product line that specialty retailers continually need to reorder, and now these same retailers are going to be able to handle their reorders at their convenience, even when 180s traditional customer service channels are closed. iVendix delivers a large and extensive user community that is growing at a very rapid pace. And it is the adoption rate by this user community that will drive the ROI for 180s,” said Tom Detmer C.E.O. of CenterStone Technologies.

Brands that currently use CenterStone’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and make the company’s other solutions available to retail customers and sales reps include: The North Face, JanSport, Vans, Reef and VF Imagewear, part of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC); Pearl Izumi; Marmot Mountain, Ex Officio and Marker Apparel, brands of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH); Under Armour (NYSE: UA); Helly Hansen; Perry Ellis Intl. (NASDAQ: PERY); Geneva Watch Group; Cleveland Golf; SmartWool, a division of Timberland (NYSE: TBL); RipCurl; Billabong; Sport Obermeyer; Smith Optics; KHS Bicycles; Dale of Norway; O’Neill Clothing; Hot Chillys; Petzl; Sole Technology; Icebreaker; Four Star Distribution (C1RCA); Fresh Produce Sportswear; Yakima Products; Patagonia Europe; The Orvis Company; Life is good®; The Quiksilver Rossignol Group; Timbuk2; ShockDoctor and others.

Baltimore-based 180s revolutionized accessories with the introduction of the original behind-the-head™ ear warmer in 1995. The company continues to turn things upside down with numerous patented technologies used in gloves, eyewear and performance apparel. With distribution in retail channels from sporting goods to department stores, 180s’ award-winning designs allow people to get out and do more. 180s. Always Out There. Check out our newly redesigned website www.180s.com

CenterStone Technologies, Inc., an international developer of secure Web-based B2B e-commerce software for manufacturers selling through specialty retail channels, today announced that Shock Doctor has selected the company’s iVendix software application. iVendix will provide Shock Doctor with a business-to-business (B2B) on-line ordering solution for retail dealers and sales reps. Dealers and sales reps will be able to view automated catalogs, check on the availability of product, place orders, and track and monitor the status of those orders using iVendix because it is accessible 24/7 via the Web.

“Shock Doctor understands the importance of innovation, and especially in these challenging economic times, having a B2B e-commerce solution for our dealers and sales reps is a must-have innovation for the efficiency of a lean organization like ours. In order to continue to provide a superior level of customer service, we felt that Shock Doctor needed a proven B2B solution that would be quickly adopted by users, and CenterStone’s iVendix solution has that track record,” stated Doug Pedersen, vice president of operations at Shock Doctor. “We were looking for the best B2B e-commerce platform available and a vendor with a history of helping clients showcase their brand within the specialty retail community. iVendix is an industry standard with a history of being the most widely accepted B2B order management solution. CenterStone will help Shock Doctor remain easy to do business with by allowing our dealers and sales reps to place orders 24/7 at their convenience. At Shock Doctor we are committed to our retail partners, and our new B2B solution will insure that we are also the easiest company for specialty retailers to purchase mouthguards and other sports protection from.”

“Shock Doctor has joined a growing list of companies that truly understand, given the speed at which business is changing and against the backdrop of a slowing economy, there is an urgent need to become more efficient. To grow and thrive, let alone just survive, the old ways of conducting business at the wholesale level have to be replaced with more efficient processes,” commented Tom Detmer, CEO of CenterStone Technologies. “We are seeing more and more companies come to this realization, that their B2B site, targeted at specialty retailers and sales reps, is as important as their B2C Web site, which is targeted at consumers. Essentially, iVendix becomes the foundation for Shock Doctor’s B2B internet strategy for their retailer community. In addition to being an order-taking engine for dealers and sales reps, our B2B e-commerce solution can deliver targeted marketing messages and promotions to these other customers, the specialty retailers, wholesale buyers. In reality, who spends more dollars directly with a manufacturer, an individual consumer or their specialty retailers? We are excited that Shock Doctor has recognized the potential of iVendix as their B2B e-commerce solution, and with more than 12,000 active users of our Web-based B2B application, we are confident that, when the solution is ‘live,’ dealers will also be quick to embrace iVendix for Shock Doctor,” added Detmer.

Brands that currently use CenterStone’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and make the company’s other solutions available to retail customers and sales reps include: The North Face, JanSport, Vans, Reef and VF Imagewear, part of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC); Pearl Izumi; Marmot Mountain, Ex Officio and Marker Apparel, brands of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH); Under Armour (NYSE: UA); Helly Hansen; Perry Ellis Intl. (NASDAQ: PERY); Geneva Watch Group; Cleveland Golf; SmartWool, a division of Timberland (NYSE: TBL); RipCurl; Billabong; Sport Obermeyer; Smith Optics; KHS Bicycles; Dale of Norway; O’Neill Clothing; Hot Chillys; Petzl; Sole Technology; Icebreaker; Four Star Distribution (C1RCA); Fresh Produce Sportswear; Yakima Products; Patagonia Europe; 180s; The Orvis Company; Life is good®; The Quiksilver Rossignol Group; Timbuk2 and others.

About Shock Doctor:

Shock Doctor has grown from being the undisputed leader in mouthguard technology, to being the leading innovator in sports protection around the globe. Our belief in combining design and technology to achieve better protection and performance is now trusted by fearless athletes in a growing number of products and sports, from youth to amateur to pro. At first it was our founders who were fearless. Where conventional thinking saw a necessary inconvenience, they saw an opportunity to rethink, retool and redefine the mouthguard. They invested in research and product testing. They applied innovative design technology. And they revolutionized the industry with their first Shock Doctor mouthguard. Ever since, Shock Doctor products have been created with this same passion for sports and innovation as we remain committed to the fearless athlete. The company is privately held and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For additional information, please visit www.shockdoctor.com.

CenterStone Technologies, Inc., an international developer of Web-based sales order management software for manufacturers of apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories, today announced that Icebreaker, the New Zealand-based manufacturer of merino wool activewear, will be live on CenterStone’s iVendix B2B e-commerce application.

iVendix will provide Icebreaker’s sales reps and more than 2,000 dealers with a 24/7 on-line ordering solution in the U.S. with more countries coming online in the months ahead. Icebreaker dealers and sales reps now can view automated catalogs, check on the availability of product, place orders, and track and monitor the status of those orders using iVendix since it is accessible 24/7 via the Web.

“When looking for a B2B solution the choice was very easy. Centerstone has a tremendous track record in providing a fast and easy solution, which is a perfect fit for us," said Icebreaker’s Russ Hopcus, president of U.S. operations. "We want to be the easiest company for specialty retailers to purchase pure outdoor merino from. CenterStone's iVendix solution has a proven track record, is widely accepted and will allow our dealers and sales reps to order 24/7. That means more merino for everyone."

“Icebreaker has joined a growing list of companies that understand the urgency of becoming more efficient, given the speed at which business is changing and against the backdrop of a slowing economy. To succeed, let alone just survive, the old ways of conducting business at the wholesale level have to be replaced with more efficient processes,” commented Tom Detmer, CEO of CenterStone Technologies.

“Icebreaker, like all our clients, came to the realization that their B2B site, targeted at specialty retailers and sales reps, is as important as their B2C Web site, which is targeted at consumers,” he continued. “Essentially, iVendix becomes the foundation for Icebreaker’s B2B internet strategy for their retailer community. After all, specialty retailers – the wholesale buyers – in reality, spend more dollars directly with a manufacturer than individual consumers, so providing a B2B solution for them is imperative. We are excited that Icebreaker has recognized the potential of iVendix as their B2B e-commerce solution, and with more than 12,000 active users of our Web-based application, we are confident that dealers will also be quick to embrace iVendix for Icebreaker,” added Detmer.

Brands that currently use CenterStone’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and make the company’s other solutions available to retail customers and sales reps include: The North Face, JanSport, Vans, Reef and VF Imagewear, part of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC); Pearl Izumi; Marmot Mountain, Ex Officio and Marker Apparel, brands of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH); Under Armour (NYSE: UA); Helly Hansen; Perry Ellis Intl. (NASDAQ: PERY); Geneva Watch Group; Cleveland Golf; SmartWool, a division of Timberland (NYSE: TBL); RipCurl; Billabong; Sport Obermeyer; Smith Optics; KHS Bicycles; Dale of Norway; O’Neill Clothing; Hot Chillys; Petzl; Sole Technology; Icebreaker; Four Star Distribution (C1RCA); Fresh Produce Sportswear; Yakima Products; Patagonia Europe; 180s; The Orvis Company; Life is good®; The Quiksilver Rossignol Group; Timbuk2; ShockDoctor and others.

About Icebreaker:

Launched in 1994, Icebreaker was the first company in the world to develop a merino wool layering system for the outdoors. It was also the first outdoor apparel company in the world to source merino direct from growers, a system it began in 1997. There are now 10 distinct pure merino fabrics in the Icebreaker system, covering underwear, mid layer, and outerwear. Icebreaker is sold in nearly 2,000 stores in 24 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America. Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Icebreaker uses only pure merino hand-picked from 120 high country stations in the country's Southern Alps to create edgy outdoor clothing that combines nature's work with human technology and design. For more information, please contact Lee Weinstein for Icebreaker at 503.708.0402.

 

CenterStone Technologies announced that Patagonia has selected the company’s iVendix solution for their European dealers.

 

"Customer service has always been a top priority for Patagonia. We interact with hundreds of specialty retailers in Europe every day, and could clearly see the need to offer them the ability to conduct business in a convenient and seamless way. Therefore, Patagonia Europe was looking for a reliable, multilingual, and multi-currency business-to-business (B2B) solution. With years of experience in our industry, iVendix was a natural answer. With iVendix, our dealers will be able to manage their orders 24/7 and access our inventory in real time. This should allow Patagonia Europe to increase its in-season sales, and customer service staff to provide more pro-active service. From an environmental point of view, we are also hoping that the B2B platform will limit the exchange of paper documents with our dealers. Having the best products and causing the least amount of harm to the environment has long been the ethos of Patagonia; we are now working to contribute further to the success of our specialty retailers with the iVendix B2B ordering tool", said Nate Smith - International Manager of Patagonia.

“We’re glad that Patagonia selected iVendix. When the service will go live in January 2008, European Patagonia dealers will be able to serve their customers more efficiently at the point of sale, increasing inventory turns and thus revenues. Patagonia's customer service will increase the efficiency of time spent with each client what will translate into greater speed to market and more attractiveness for the Patagonia brand", said Christophe de Lussac - GM CenterStone Europe.

CenterStone Technologies, an international developer of Web-based ordering solutions for manufacturers of apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories, today announced that Von Zipper and Element have selected the company’s iVenidx software to start B2B E-commerce with dealers. iVendix will provide a business-to-business (B2B) online ordering service for Von Zipper and Element’s European retail dealers who will be able to place their orders using their local language and currency. Dealers will be able to check on products availability as well as track and monitor the status of their orders on iVendix since it is accessible 24/7 via the Web. According to Philippe Degenne, Operations Manager at Billabong : “After experiencing increasing results on Billabong and Kustom B2B platforms, we implemented the VZ brand in order to offer an even wider selection of services to our customers. Thanks to this efficient retail support tool we now offer better service to our retailers who no longer have to depend on customer services opening hours. They can monitor the status of their order, check an updated inventory and be aware of special built up promotions. From an internal point of view, iVendix not only saves time for all users but also allows the customer service to be more selling-oriented”

CenterStone Technologies, Inc., announced that Under Armour® Inc. has selected the company’s software application. CenterStone is providing a business-to-business (B2B) online ordering system for Under Armour’s sales reps, customer service representatives and retail dealers that is accessible 24/7 via the World Wide Web. The solution is now “live” and ready for business for 4,000 dealers and sales reps who will be able to view automated catalogs, check on the availability of product, place orders as well as track and monitor the status of their orders.