Kik Is TradeBeyond’s Latest Supply Chain Win

Alexandra Harrell
·4 min read

Kik is the latest big retailer to sign up with a 21st-century supply chain platform.

The German discount chain is a new client of TradeBeyond, the provider helping brands and retailers manage product development, sourcing and logistics. The 4,100-plus store seller of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel and shoes as well as home goods, toys and pet supplies is deploying the cross-company platform to digitize its supply chain operations.

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TradeBeyond, whose extended supply chain management solutions target private label and branded merchandise, will replace Kik’s existing analog systems with cloud-based solutions to optimize the European retailer’s supply chain end-to-end, beginning with sourcing, tendering, order collaboration and inspection.

“TradeBeyond’s unrivaled expertise in sourcing and supply chain management, coupled with the company’s strong Asian presence, make them the ideal partner for us,” Dirk Ankenbrand, chief marketing officer at Kik, said.

The company, formerly known as CBX Software, has several offices throughout Asia, including outposts in Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Taiwan, totaling over 200 employees. TradeBeyond previously told Sourcing Journal that it sees “firsthand” the opportunities for global retailers in the region and “works diligently” to help those retailers take advantage of them. It reported that by cutting waste time and redundant activities from the supply chain, clients saw a 30 to 40 percent productivity improvement.

“No other platform on the market offered us the same breadth and depth of functionality,” Ankenbrand said. The tool and the partnership will support Kik’s future vision of collaboration and growth plans.”

TradeBeyond’s cloud-based solutions will give the retailer access to real-time data sharing. This will help Kik bring new products to market faster and more efficiently. Clients—which include REI Co-op and Lululemon—are able to customize their TradeBeyond software deployment, meaning they can target their biggest pain points early on and generate savings more quickly.

For Kik, the Pivot88 owner will optimize the retailer’s supply chain processes as well as alleviate its dependence on outside partners by bringing its sourcing operations in-house. With supply chains now under the legislative and regulatory gun worldwide, many brands need greater control over their networks to avoid running afoul of new and forthcoming laws.

As a TradeBeyond user, Kik should see enhanced efficiency, increased transparency and shorter cycle times, all of which support “better products and higher profit margins,” said André von Appen, TradeBeyond’s vice president of Europe.

“TradeBeyond’s platform will automate and optimize Kik’s sourcing and quality inspection processes, standardize and unify process flows and support critical path management with automated reminders and notifications,” he continued. “This digitalization will also centralize and streamline data sources, reducing costly errors. Additionally, the platform will facilitate smoother data exchange and transfer, optimizing Kik’s supplier onboarding process and recording inspection test results more effectively.”

Kik will be utilizing four of TradeBeyond’s six core offerings, according to von Appen.

Its supplier relationship management module, CBX Partner, will enable KiK to manage and collaborate with its suppliers, ensuring a streamlined and transparent supply chain network. CBX Source will facilitate the sourcing process, offering an integrated approach to identify and procure goods. CBX Order, TradeBeyond’s order management solution, will verify that the orders and changes are managed effectively and efficiently. CBX Assure will optimize KiK’s quality management processes, ensuring that products meet the required standards and specifications.

“These digital solutions represent a significant advancement over KiK’s previous analog systems, introducing real-time data sharing and automation to optimize their supply chain operations,” von Appen said.

The two-year, four-phase deployment is set to kick off in early 2024.

Given the ever-evolving landscape of global supply chain due diligence laws, platforms like TradeBeyond are becoming increasingly important to brands and retailers looking to remain compliant. The San Diego-based company rolled out a chain of custody management suite in May that gives brands and retailers the ability to trace their products throughout the supply chain as well as make the digital paper trail necessary to meet the requirements of global due diligence laws in relation to their sustainability marketing claims. In March, TrueBeyond updated the platform’s chain of custody functionality to cover the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

“The demand for this new functionality has been overwhelming,” said Michael Hung, CEO of TradeBeyond. “Traceability is vital to a sustainable supply chain, and under new global regulations like the UFLPA and the German Supply Chain Act, having verification that products were sourced ethically and sustainably is now a requirement.”

Kik’s 2021 sustainability report found that more than half of its suppliers (about 115 out of 230) have been working with the company for at least five years, with key procurement markets in Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and Turkey. Suppliers include Apparel Today, Pelikan Knitwear and Sheentex.

The chain, which employs 28,000 people, sells office supplies, gifts and games as well as textile-related goods and targets families with children. Kik (which translates to “customer is king”) reported annual sales of 1.9 billion euros ($2.05 billion) in 2020.