David Hewitt, RetailSystem Group CEO, talks about building the next generation of furniture and flooring technology.
At RetailSystem, our focus has always been simple: to build practical technology that genuinely improves the way furniture, bed and flooring businesses operate every day.
Over recent months, we have delivered some of the most important upgrades in our company’s history. Each development has been shaped by listening closely to our customers, understanding the pressures they face, and investing in tools that remove friction from the sales, ordering, delivery and fulfilment process.
One of those major developments is WebSystem TradeDirect, our new B2B commerce platform for suppliers. TradeDirect represents something very important: the continued move towards joined-up digital trading across our industry. Trade customers increasingly expect accurate product data, customer-specific pricing, stock visibility and fast ordering. TradeDirect helps suppliers deliver exactly that.
Another milestone has been RouteSystem, our furniture-focused delivery planning solution developed through our integration with MaxOptra. Delivery remains one of the most challenging parts of the customer journey, and RouteSystem has been designed to make that process faster, clearer and more profitable. Retailers can plan routes, optimise delivery runs, generate accurate ETAs, provide live tracking links and give drivers access through a smartphone app. It also helps retailers understand the real cost of delivery by tracking man hours, van hours and mileage.
For me, that is exactly what technology should do. It should not just look impressive; it should solve real operational problems.
However, one of the most exciting recent developments has come from the way we are now using AI to enhance product content and sales functionality. Our new Carpet Calculator is a perfect example.
Flooring has always presented unique challenges. Unlike many standard products, carpet and flooring orders depend on measurements, roll widths, area calculations, fitting requirements and customer-specific pricing. Getting those calculations right is essential, not only for accuracy, but also for speed and customer confidence.
With RetailSystem’s enhanced content tools, flooring teams can now generate instant quotes, orders and invoices from as little as 1m² right through to 6m x 24.9m – a total of 149.4m². That means sales teams can respond faster, reduce manual calculation errors, and create a smoother experience from initial enquiry through to completed order.
This is where AI becomes genuinely useful. Not as a buzzword, but as a practical way to make complex product information easier to manage, easier to sell and easier to fulfil.
We believe the future of furniture and flooring retail is not about replacing people. It is about giving great teams better tools. Whether it is B2B commerce, route planning, stock visibility, content enrichment or flooring calculations, our job is to make technology work harder in the background so retailers and suppliers can focus on their customers.
If you would like to explore how RetailSystem can support your business, arrange a demonstration, or discuss your digital transformation plans, please contact the member of our leadership team responsible for your region.
Darren Bastin
Sales Director – UK, Europe & South Africa
Email: darren@retailsystem.com
Tel: +44 207 0961 456
Jay Diamond
Chief Operating Officer – North America
Email: jay@retailsystem.com
Tel: +1 (650) 474-5424
We look forward to helping your business unlock greater efficiency, profitability and growth through RetailSystem’s next generation of retail, trade and logistics solutions.
