Executing a Retail Carve-out for a Brand’s Post-Acquisition Launch
To power a retail brand’s post-acquisition launch, Clarkston Consulting supported a client on a retail carve-out execution. Read a synopsis of the project below or download the full case study.
Download the Retail Carve-out Execution Case Study Here
The client, a multi-brand, global fashion industry leader was established as the global design, sourcing, and U.S. operating partner for a retail footwear and apparel company following the acquisition of the company in March 2022. With multiple Transition Service Agreements (TSAs) set to expire by June 2023, the organization faced an aggressive and highly visible mandate: fully separate from the prior company and stand up a complete enterprise technology landscape without disrupting ongoing business operations.
Clarkston partnered with the client as the strategic lead for this transformation, overseeing the end-to-end IT transition and serving in leadership roles across nearly every workstream. In less than 16 months, the program replaced nearly 100% of the technology stack required to run the retail footwear and apparel business. This included implementing more than 25 enterprise applications, deploying over 100 integrations, standing up a new third-party logistics provider, migrating infrastructure across corporate offices and international locations, and rolling out new systems to 62 U.S. retail stores.
The transition was executed through tightly sequenced phases designed to support critical seasonal milestones. Early go-lives enabled wholesale order booking, demand and supply planning, and factory purchasing for the Fall/Winter ’23 season using SAP S/4, SAP IBP, NuOrder, EDI, and InforNexus. Subsequent phases brought product lifecycle management (PLM), custom labeling, omnichannel and point-of-sale capabilities, eCommerce, tax, analytics, and inventory integration with the new distribution network online.
Throughout the program, the business continued to operate at full speed—often relying on “just-in-time” system capabilities to place orders, ship product, and transfer inventory ahead of complete process maturity. Despite the compressed timeline and operational risk, the retail footwear and apparel company successfully exited all TSAs by June 2023, established a scalable and modern technology foundation, and positioned the brand for continued growth within the client’s portfolio.
