Palm USA has launched a Shopatron-powered online store for Palm Equipment, Europe’s leading paddlesports apparel brand, to make it easier for customers to order product through regional paddlesport retailers. Orders are directed into Shopatron’s Coex Freedom order exchange for fulfillment by Palm USA retailers across North America. Retailers are also engaged as local in-store pickup partners.
Distributed by MTI Adventurewear in the States, Palm Equipment has a great reputation among discerning paddlers for outstanding fit and performance. But it’s been a challenge to get retailers to stock it, especially now in a tough economy. “This is an opportunity for us to help connect our retail partners and the consumer,” said Lili Colby, marketing director for Palm USA and MTI. “Any of our dealers, including MTI dealers who want to expand their assortment into Palm, will be able to take advantage of fulfilling Shopatron orders. And customers will be able to purchase Palm gear and apparel without the hassle of searching for a dealer that has a particular item in stock. It’s a positive shift for us, our dealers, and customers, as Shopatron increases our reach to the end consumer with a user-friendly interface.”
The Shopatron solution allows Palm USA to assign online orders to local retailers for shipment and in-store pickup, providing faster delivery to shoppers and preventing competition with retailers. After a consumer places an order on Palm USA’s Web site, local retailers that have the items in stock choose to fulfill the order, either by handling shipment or offering in-store pickup. This allows both retailers and manufacturers to identify consumer purchasing trend information that can be utilized to better accommodate consumers in the future. The Shopatron eCommerce interface is available to US dealers for domestic order fulfillment and shipping, and is now live at www.palmequipmentusa.com
For more information about becoming a participating dealer go to www.shopatron.com/signup. It’s free to join Shopatron. There is no monthly fee or obligation to participate.
About Palm USA
Palm Equipment partnered with MTI Adventurewear (Marine Technologies International) in 2004 after much of their production moved to the same USCG approved factory in China that builds MTI. Andy Knight, founder and owner of Palm, personally oversaw the move to Asia and worked side by side with staff in the ISO9000 certified Shanghai factory to assure quality and high standards for production. Palm USA is a selected assortment of the Palm brand, focusing on the high end performance apparel and a targeted range of safety accessories, neoprene footwear, and other accessories. While only dealers that place a Palm preseason order are listed as a Palm USA dealer, any MTI Adventurewear dealer can order Palm products on their standard MTI account. As a further incentive, preseason customers will enjoy their inseason discount on all Palm orders till September 2009. For more information about becoming a Palm dealer or adding Palm to an MTI order, please contact Kevin Taylor, National Sales Manager for Marine Technologies, at kevin.t@marine-tech.us or 1-800-783-4684.
About MTI Adventurewear
Founded in 1991 by Yoshi Takashina and his mother Dorothy in Watertown, MA, near Boston, MTI stands for Marine Technologies International, and is still family owned and operated. The Takashina family first started making life jackets in Osaka, Japan in 1935. In addition to the business in Japan and Marine Technologies in the States, they also own and operate a USCG approved ISO9000 certified manufacturing facility in China. It is that experience and vertical supply that has helped make MTI one of the leading PFD brands in America. MTI’s purpose is to design, manufacture, market, and distribute US Coast Guard approved PFDs through retailers for paddlesports and small craft boating. A driving goal is to offer customers high quality, comfortable, yet affordable flotation to encourage PFD use and safe on-water recreation.
Located in Plymouth, MA, Marine Technologies International is the home to three water sport brands: MTI Adventurewear, Palm USA, and Bluestorm. MTI and Palm are both focused on paddlesports. Bluestorm is personal protective equipment for the mariner. The Bluestorm line of Inflatable PFDs, foam filled PFDs, and technical apparel target the sailing and general boating market. For more information about Bluestorm go to www.bluestorm.us or contact Kevin Taylor at kevin.t@marine-tech.us. 1-800-783-4684.
About Shopatron
Shopatron, Inc., the leading provider of global eCommerce solutions for consumer goods industries, enables its merchants to engage consumers with a fantastic experience from shopping through fulfillment. Orders placed on Shopatron merchant Web sites are fulfilled through a managed, distributed network of fulfillment partners, typically local retailers. Local fulfillment speeds delivery, motivates fulfillment partners to stock more inventory, and facilitates in-store pickup, a convenience valued by a majority of online shoppers. Headquartered in San Luis Obispo, CA, Shopatron operates Coex Freedom, an order exchange with more than 600 merchants and 10,000 fulfillment partners across 35 consumer products industries. For more information and a full client list, visit ecommerce.shopatron.com.