Canada's Lightspeed Commerce launches B2B network for retailers

The launch of this transformative new solution will bring together thousands of the world’s best brands and retailers with a cutting-edge supplier network tool that integrates B2B orders directly into the point of sale (POS), the company said in a media statement.

This innovative, first-of-its-kind solution is the culmination of integrating technology from Lightspeed’s acquisition of NuOrder into the Lightspeed Retail platform. The Lightspeed B2B platform boasts thousands of brands, including Tom Ford, Coach, Theory, Black Diamond, and Outdoor Voices. Retailers will be able to use this platform to order directly from brands in the Lightspeed Commerce platform.

The new Lightspeed B2B platform improves the connection between brands and retailers, automating the omni-channel retail experience, and liberating retailers from manual, time-consuming workflows. Lightspeed B2B reduces friction, saves time and offers additional insights by putting a single network at the fingertips of brands and retailers.

Digital catalogues are available directly in the Lightspeed B2B platform for retailers, making it easy to browse and order products from existing brand partners. It also offers massive inventory and ordering time savings for retailers and omni-channel enablement. Retailers place an order directly from their Lightspeed Retail platform and save time by having all order details, products, and inventory updated in their POS immediately, ready and available for sale in-store or online on any channel.

The platform makes it easier to discover and connect with new brands as a verified retailer. Lightspeed B2B’s deep brand relationships bring in-demand brands directly to the back office of every Lightspeed retailer.

Once the initial Lightspeed B2B rollout is complete, brands will get direct insight into sell-through data about their products across retailers in the Lightspeed ecosystem, bringing them closer to consumers with a direct feedback loop of product intel. They can easily share and maintain a brand catalogue across the network of qualified Lightspeed retailers.

Once the initial Lightspeed B2B rollout is complete, brands will be able to receive orders from across the Lightspeed customer ecosystem all in one place.

“After four years of owning a retail business, I’ve never been so excited for a retail product in my entire career. I’m so happy the Lightspeed B2B platform exists, and I'm going to tell every brand they need to just switch to Lightspeed B2B,” Lightspeed B2B user Christine Iksic, founder and CEO of 3 Rivers Outdoor, said in a statement.

“We saw an enormous opportunity to transform how retailers work with their brands. With the technology and expertise brought in through the NuOrder acquisition, we’ve been able to create a truly transformational, integrated brand supplier network for the retail industry. We’ve completely re-invented the buying and inventory process for brands and retailers, and Lightspeed B2B is bringing them a robust, high-end brand network,” Lightspeed CEO, JP Chauvet, said.

“Wholesale retail ordering is a broken industry and we have always felt a responsibility to solve for both sides of the brand and retailer equation. With this launch, we're offering transformative value for brands and retailers that represents an inflection point in the history of retail. This new tool enables independent businesses to discover new products, gain insights that were previously unattainable, and gain access to product catalogues and integrated ordering on one network. The disruption of the last two years has cemented the need for independent retailers to leverage technology to remain agile and the new Lightspeed B2B network is deeply in line with our mission to strengthen their operational resilience,” Heath Wells, general manager of the new Lightspeed B2B platform, and co-founder of NuOrder, said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)