Paul Smith is intensifying its focus on digital operations, including DTC e-commerce and digital wholesale, while closely integrating these efforts with its physical retail business. The goal is to “create a seamless, global brand presence.”

To achieve this, Paul Smith has partnered with the specialist fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform Centra. The collaboration has already delivered performance improvements across the board, allowing teams to concentrate on growth rather than troubleshooting.

This digital enhancement journey began some time ago, with a significant transformation of Paul Smith’s digital flagship in 2022. The company transitioned to a headless front-end designed by agency partner Limesharp, resulting in a much-improved online store that prioritizes storytelling and mirrors the in-store shopping experience. However, the improved online store was hampered by slow speeds and other issues. The team also encountered challenges in streamlining and scaling its business due to limitations with its existing e-commerce platform.

As Paul Smith sought an order management solution (OMS) to support multi-source inventory and global ship-from-store capabilities, they realized this would introduce additional complexities.

Hannah Bennett, Head of Digital at Paul Smith, explained, “We were considering investing in OMS software but realized that we would still need to upgrade our platform. Our development team would then be tasked with building and supporting those features. We’re a fashion brand; we should be integrating solutions, not building and maintaining software.”