REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Orscheln Farm and Home, a leading mid-sized retailer with 145 stores across 9 Midwestern states, has implemented Oracle(R) Retail merchandising and planning applications to support its continued growth strategy and bolster profits, Oracle announced today. The Oracle Retail applications provide the retailer with a proven, scalable platform for more efficiently executing on core merchandising operations while also helping to improve the accuracy of forecasts and more effectively satisfy customer demand through better in-stock positions.

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The Missouri-based Orscheln Farm and Home provides its customers with lawn and garden products, farm supplies, livestock feed, animal health items, pet food and supplies, hardware, plumbing, electrical, automotive, toys, clothing, sporting goods as well as seasonal merchandise. The retailer has been experiencing rapid growth of about 10 percent, or approximately 10 to 12 new stores, per year. The family-owned business operates primarily in small towns and has established a solid reputation in the communities in which it operates for being a good corporate citizen.

"The tremendous growth and success we have experienced at Orscheln Farm and Home is a product of our strong commitment to delivering exceptional customer service and quality products at the lowest prices," said Stephen Chick, President at Orscheln Farm and Home. "We believe our investment in Oracle's retail expertise and solutions is important to our long-term success and expect it to have a positive impact on our relationship with customers and in further boosting bottom line results."

Orscheln Farm and Home completed its Oracle Retail implementation earlier this month. The retailer deployed the Oracle Retail Merchandising System, Oracle Retail Invoice Matching, Oracle Retail Price Management, Oracle Retail Trade Management, Oracle Retail Allocation, Oracle Retail Sales Audit and Oracle Retail Data Warehouse. Orscheln Farm and Home has integrated the Oracle Retail applications with Oracle Financials, part of the Oracle E-Business Suite.

For the deployment, Oracle partnered with Logic, a strategic retail technology implementation firm based in Minneapolis that specializes in the unique needs of mid-sized retailers.

"Logic was able to bring a team of talented senior-level consultants that delivered value instantly," added Chick. "They had a deep understanding of the complexities of a large scale project and effectively managed scope and priorities to deliver functionality in a short period of time."

"Mid-sized retailers have traditionally lagged behind the IT adoption curve and this has put their businesses at a disadvantage," said Amber Naqvi, Vice President of Retail and Distribution for Logic. "By understanding the unique budget and process needs of a mid-sized retailer like Orscheln Farm and Home, Logic is able to deliver world-class Oracle technology in a way that makes sense for their business. This helps mid-sized retailers compete more effectively with larger retailers while also giving them a clear upgrade path and roadmap for best practice implementation."

With a scalable Oracle Retail platform now in place, Orscheln Farm and Home will next turn its attention to transforming planning practices. For this, the retailer plans to implement Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management and Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting.

"Retailers of all sizes are increasingly turning to innovative retail solutions that can be easily implemented and deliver rapid value to the business," said Duncan Angove, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Oracle Retail. "Orscheln Farm and Home is a mid-sized retailer that will benefit long-term from the investments it has made in core systems and we are committed to supporting their plans for growth and continued success."

About Oracle Retail

Oracle is the number one provider of innovative and comprehensive industry software solutions for retailers -- enabling organizations to serve their customers better by applying insight into daily business decisions for more profitable results. With software that provides supply chain, operations, merchandising, store systems, optimization and information technology solutions, Oracle partners with the world's leading retail companies, including 17 of the top 20 retailers worldwide, to transform the economics of their businesses.

About Oracle

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or Mary Ellen Amodeo of Amodeo Associates, +1-612-963-5797,
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