By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Organizations can get overwhelmed with so many POS reports. We hear it all the time. Management wants 1 report that every part of the company can work from. The “1” truth. But it is hard to accomplish when […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Today we commemorate ERS’ 24th year in business! It’s amazing how much has changed over that time. As we enter our 25th year I am still as optimistic about the future as I was on day 1 (but […]
By Hristina Kostadinova, Business Analyst Intern @ Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC One of the most rewarding parts of my internship was having the opportunity to build an Open-to-Buy (OTB) forecast from the ground up. Coming into this project, I had experience working with data and retail […]
By Valentina Thibault, Business Analyst Intern Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Data looks objective, and numbers feel fixed. But the longer I spend working with sales and inventory reports covered in it, the more I realize that data is fundamentally about risk. It is about identifying and […]
By Noah Balsam, Business Analyst Intern @ Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC My internship with ERS has developed my understanding of the retail-manufacturer landscape and what constitutes success. I have studied several manufacturers in depth and learned how a company’s decision-making process can affect its growth potential. […]
By Chloe Fan, Business Analyst Intern at Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Turning Weekend Sales Data Into Strategic Action This summer, as I began my role as a Business Analyst Intern at ERS, I quickly learned that retail moves far faster than most consumers realize. By Monday […]
By Hristina Kostadinova, Business Analyst Intern @ Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC When I accepted my internship at ERS, I knew very little about the retail industry beyond shopping. I had never worked with inventory planning tools or large-scale retail data before, so stepping into this environment […]
By Noah Balsam, Business Analyst Intern @ Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC When I accepted my internship with ERS, I knew next to nothing about the retail industry. I wondered how the experience would be valuable for me. All it took was the first three days to […]
By Valentina Thibault, Business Analyst Intern Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Before joining Enhanced Retail Solutions, I understood inventory from the view on the sales floor. I was a retail associate stocking shelves, organizing products, and helping customers find what they needed. Now I’m learning how the […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC When you boil it down, forecasting and inventory planning is a game of educated guessing and risk assessment. A lot is dependent on the accuracy of sales or shipment history. But we all know there are other factors […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC It’s an age-old question for wholesalers: create a forecast based on past shipments or on POS sales history? I have had many heated conversations with folks on both sides of the table. I’m generally in the POS corner […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC We are extremely gratified to be awarded the Top Retail Sales & Inventory Reporting Solution for 2026 by Retail Tech Insights. ERS has been recognized for its unique inventory solutions that are both easy to use and feature […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC When I shop, it is still through the lens of my buying days. Old habits die hard. One of the things I always make sure to do is check the clearance. It shows what mistakes were made. Why […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC I’ve been in the retail and wholesale inventory prediction business for a long time. A lot has changed. While our tools are light years better than when I started (big shoulder pads were a thing) what hasn’t changed […]
By Josh Coughlin, CTO, Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Custom software has a reputation problem. Despite years of success stories, many companies still hesitate when the idea of building custom software comes up. The reaction is often immediate and emotional: too expensive, too risky, too slow, what […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Most of our clients have a common pain point. With so many platforms to sell on- and channels within each platform- they are struggling to manage inventory effectively. Buying the right amount, and moving inventory around to cover […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Every business operates differently. They are at various stages in their lifecycle. Studying efficiency, especially related to inventory planning, generally uncovers processes or workflows that could be greatly improved if automated. We often see clients spending hours on […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC So much of our work revolves around replenishable items that we sometimes neglect fashion. People will often say that a deep level of planning is not necessary for fashion, especially “one and done” items. I disagree. Fashion comes […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Vendor Managed Inventory is when a supplier takes the responsibility of managing retail inventory by determining the most productive allocation by sku by store. They calculate needs, create orders, and ship the product. The buyer generally provides the […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Even though tracking item performance is one of the most basic inventory planning functions, how it is implemented varies widely. The topic has come up a lot lately. Partly because the holiday season is upon us, but also […]
.By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC You have to really give it to Amazon. There is almost no area of their business where they have not found an innovative way to reach the consumer. Last weekend I was watching one of their exclusive series. […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Inventory planners are very busy these days. Recently we’ve had several clients request help with store to store transfers, lining up stores from one retailer to another and matching store locations to ship points from online orders. If […]
By Noelle Walsh, Business Analyst Intern at Enhanced Retail Solutions Discovering White Space During My Internship One of the most exciting parts of my internship was working on a research project for an ERS client focused on identifying white space opportunities on Amazon—areas where customer needs […]
By Christian Hart, ERS Business Analyst Intern Lately, I’ve been watching many of our clients make dramatic shifts in their inventory planning strategies in response to the new tariffs on China. These changes made me think about the broader question: how should retail businesses prioritize profit […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions Wholesale inventory planners are used to working with POS data sets from the large retailers. That data has varying degrees of availability and complexity. If you sell a large number of retailers, managing the data is a job all […]
By Jim Lewis, Founder and CEO, Enhanced Retail Solutions 23 years ago, with a Best Buy credit card, I bought the most advanced PC and a CD-ROM of Microsoft Excel. With that and the naiveté of someone who knew nothing about running a business, ERS was […]
By Christian Hart, Business Analyst Intern at Enhanced Retail Solutions Last week, I began my summer internship at Enhanced Retail Solutions (ERS). The main focus is on inventory planning. My experience so far has been filled with lots of learning. It Depends My main takeaway thus […]
By Noelle Walsh, Business Analyst Intern at Enhanced Retail Solutions My name is Noelle Walsh, and I’m an incoming senior at the University of Florida. I began as a Business Analyst Intern at Enhanced Retail Solutions this past week. I’ve always been curious about how big […]
ndBy Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Generally, we focus on how much inventory we have. But a more important question might be where is our inventory? Many retailers are still woefully imbalanced across their chain in certain product categories. From a high level, everything […]
April 3, 2025 ERS Founder and CEO Jim Lewis has been featured on the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida website. Times Square Gators: Warrington entrepreneurs in the big city | Warrington “I am a very proud Gator and very thankful for the […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC There are already enough pundits out there covering the tariffs. You don’t need another one. What you do need is to think about the long game here. I see many retailers making knee-jerk reactions without a long-term strategy. […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Many retailers rely on promotions to drive traffic, tell consumers about new products and sell their lifestyle or retail philosophy. Most of the time, they are partnering with their suppliers to provide financial support or exclusivity. Assuming both […]
By Ramotalahi Aderoju, ERS Business Analyst Intern The Urgency of Inventory Reassessment Amid Tariff Disruptions The recent tariffs imposed by the Government on countries including Canada, China, and Mexico have brought much anxiety to retailers and manufacturers. The balance between protecting our national interests and an […]
By Ramotalahi Aderoju, ERS Retail Analyst Intern My name is Ramotalahi Aderoju, and I am a student at the University of Florida. I happily serve as a Retail Analyst Intern for Enhanced Retail Solutions (ERS) this Spring. My internship experience provides me with the opportunity to […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Most inventory planners and sales teams use POS sales history to predict the future. But what if that history is flawed? We could have been out of inventory at specific times and lost sales. We don’t want to […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC For many years, we have talked to our clients about the significant savings in time that solutions like ours provide. But measuring it can be tricky. Having more time to make smarter decisions rather than building and formatting […]
By Jim Lewis, Founder and CEO of Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC About 10 years ago, we embarked on a project called Retail Narrative. The concept, using what we call “Augmented Intelligence” provides our users and consultants with a weekly synopsis of their business. The Narrative engine […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC I braved it on Black Friday and went to the mall. It was great to see so many people out shopping- just like the old days. Before the pandemic. Before Amazon. Before blueberries at $6.99/lb. There is nothing […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC With the election over, we can now focus our attention on something that we can all agree on. What makes a great POS report. Based on what I’ve seen out there, we can’t really agree on that either. […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Unless you shop with your eyes closed, you’ve noticed that just about every product you buy has gone up in price. Even at the dollar stores I see more $3.00 items. Inflation along with a variety of other […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC This week we got a lot of questions about ladder planning. No matter what you call it, it is an essential part of inventory planning. The concept can be summarized in 3 words: Plan, compare and revise. You […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC Returns. It’s part of the retail experience. An easy return policy is a must to build trust and loyalty with the consumer. Exceeding customer expectations can provide great benefit to the retailer, but there are costs. The actual […]
By Jake Frimmer, ERS Business Analyst Intern Amazoning Smarter It is no secret that Amazon has revolutionized the retail industry. They offer unparalleled opportunities for businesses to reach a global customer base. Managing an online retail business differs significantly from managing a traditional brick-and-mortar store. That […]
By Jake Frimmer, ERS Business Analyst Intern In today’s fast-paced retail environment, the ability to make informed decisions quickly can set a business apart from its competitors. This is where data analytics comes into play. By leveraging data analytics, retailers and their partners can transform raw […]
By Jake Frimmer, ERS Business Analyst Intern Having worked with ERS for the past six weeks, one of the most important things I have learned is the critical role of effective inventory management. This practice, when executed well, can significantly contribute to business success. It is […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC I’m a big fan of Independence Day week. Besides being able to satiate my carnivorous habit (we miss you J.B.), it’s also the anniversary of ERS. It’s a time to reflect on our accomplishments, challenges and think about […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO, Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC We’ve all been there. We think our product is the best thing since sliced bread. The designers created a masterpiece. The sales team says how high is high. Owners take the risk and produce a lot of inventory. […]
By Jake Frimmer, ERS Business Analyst Intern Walking into the ERS office on my first day, I felt a mix of anticipation and curiosity. I was met with a warm welcome from the ERS team which allowed me to settle in easily. It is clear that […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC At a recent meeting a financial planner asked me how to plan inventory when you can no longer rely on history. Just about everybody, and every system uses historic sales as the basis for predicting future demand. What […]
By Jim Lewis, CEO Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC In the last few blog posts, we have discussed different strategies for tracking product performance. In this episode we will focus on how important the time component is in tracking and inventory planning. As the adage goes, time […]