Case Study: Follett Higher Education Group cuts planning time by six weeks, boosts sales and lowers inventory with Manhattan Associates' Planning Solutions

Follett Higher Education Group readies for the back-to-campus rush with Manhattan’s Planning solutions

Follett Higher Education Group, a nearly 150-year-old retailer operating about 900 college bookstores in the U.S. and Canada, struggled to prepare for two critical back-to-campus selling seasons because planners relied on manual processes that required roughly six weeks of data entry and slowed store-level assortment and ordering. With nearly 40 planners needing fast, store-specific assortments and little opportunity to replenish during peak periods, Follett needed a scalable, planner-friendly system that fit its unique business model.

Follett implemented Manhattan Associates’ Assortment, Financial and Item Planning modules, which integrated with existing systems and required minimal customization. The new solution eliminated the six-week manual entry cycle (replacing it with an overnight interface), was implemented in six months, and is projected to boost sales about 1% while cutting inventory carrying costs roughly 1–2%, also reducing labor and improving assortment accuracy across stores.

Follett Higher Education Group

Tom Dillon

Vice President, Merchandising Systems