Wilkinson is to introduce merchandise lifecycle management software to support its global sourcing initiatives.

It wants to reduce the time that it takes to bring new products to market, widen its product selection and triple imports over an unspecified timeframe.

The first phase of the TradeStone Software system is scheduled to go live at the end of this month, and will deal with supplier profiling and social and legal compliance.

The next stage of the implementation, which should follow soon after, will involve the adoption of product development and sourcing modules.

The system has been chosen to help the retailer take its business “to the next level”, according to Wilkinson commercial planning manager Phil Barnes.

TradeStone Software chief executive Sue Welch explained that the software will allow Wilkinson to have more direct contact with its factories and suppliers based in Asia.