Adairs Unlocks Five Million Dollars in Annual Savings with a new WMS.

Leading Australian home furnishings and decor retailer, Adairs, transforms supply chain, bringing operations in-house with Manhattan SCALE™

Manhattan Associates the global leader in supply chain commerce, announced that it has successfully supported Adairs in transitioning its supply chain operations in-house with Manhattan’s dynamic warehouse management system (WMS) Manhattan SCALE.

As part of a strategic shift, Adairs moved away from a third-party logistics (3PL) model to take full ownership of its supply chain, taking responsibility for costs, efficiency and customer experience. This transition required the rapid deployment of WMS, and following a comprehensive evaluation, Adairs selected Manhattan SCALE for its flexibility, automation, integration and omnichannel capabilities.

“Bringing our supply chain in-house was a major decision, driven by our desire for greater operational control and the ability to better serve our customers,” explained Justin Dowling, general manager of supply chain at Adairs. “We wanted an off-the-shelf, ready-to-go solution that could be implemented with minimal customisation, and Manhattan SCALE has provided the successful technology backbone for this transition, allowing us to streamline operations, improve inventory management and scale effectively for peak demand."

Adairs completed the implementation of Manhattan SCALE in just 12 months, with the system going live in July 2024. The transition has already driven significant improvements across Adairs’ operations. The retailer has delivered an additional one million units to retail stores compared to the previous year, experienced a 24% increase in e-commerce order fulfilment and processed 17% higher inbound volume.

The move has also resulted in significant cost savings, with Adairs reporting five million dollars in annual savings. The enhanced system capabilities have enabled the company to consolidate its distribution operations and optimise its logistics network. Now, all orders, whether from online channels, retail stores or corporate customers, are fulfilled from a single distribution centre, improving stock availability and ensuring a more seamless supply chain operation.

“From day one, our teams worked in close partnership with Manhattan to develop a solution that would not only meet our immediate needs but also future proof our operations.” Justin Dowling General Manager of Supply Chain, Adairs.

This three-way partnership ensured that the system was designed with real-world warehouse operations in mind and aligned with Adairs’ strategic goals. “This was not just a technology project; it was a supply chain transformation,” said Dowling. “From day one, our teams worked in close partnership with Manhattan to develop a solution that would not only meet our immediate needs but also future proof our operations.”

By prioritising operational input, Adairs successfully minimised disruptions during go-live and ensured rapid adoption among its warehouse staff, and the system’s intuitive interface improved training efficiency, making it easier to scale labour for peak demand periods.

“Retailers need a supply chain that can support rapid changes in customer expectations while driving operational efficiencies,” said Raghav Sibal, managing director, Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan Associates. “By implementing Manhattan SCALE, Adairs has taken a proactive approach to modernising its operations and creating a more agile, resilient supply chain. We’re proud to have played a role in Adairs’ transformation and look forward to supporting its continued growth.”