J. Ashley is a high-end women's clothing boutique located in Avondale, an historic district of Jacksonville, FL just a block away from the scenic St. Johns River. The store is surrounded by other trendy, high-traffic shops, including a children's clothing store, beauty salons, antique dealers, art galleries, a photography studio, and a handful of quaint coffee houses and bistros. Co-owner Ashley Garcia took some time out of her busy schedule to tell us about her business and about how she's using Catapult to manage her store operations.

ECRS : How did you get into the women's clothing business?

Garcia : I went to school for engineering, and when I graduated I took a job in my field. But I was absolutely miserable. The atmosphere was cold and impersonal, and I felt like my new career consisted of clicking a computer mouse all day. I wanted something with more action where I would be working with people on a more dynamic level. My mother and I decided to go into business for ourselves. Shopping has always been one of my favorite pastimes, so after a little demographic research, we chose to open shop as a women's clothing and accessories retailer.

ECRS : How did you find out about Catapult?

Garcia : We got a referral from one of our Avondale neighbor shops. Emly Benham Shoes had been using the system and was very happy with its performance in their specialty retail setting. They put us in touch with our local Catapult dealership.

ECRS : Tell us about your inventory and customers.

Garcia : From the beginning we knew we needed to be more than just another women's clothing store. We wanted to carry high-end lines of clothing and accessories than weren't available to women in our area. Our decision to be on the cutting edge of fashion was complimented nicely by the other upscale shops and restaurants in the Avondale district. A majority of our customers are upper-middle class consumers who don't mind spending money to keep their wardrobes stylishly current. Many of them are party-goers who want to look fashionable for their various festivities. We cover the style gamut from casual wear all the way up to formal wear. We pretty much have something for every occasion.

ECRS : How does Catapult's reporting help you manage your inventory?

Garcia : Fashion as a whole is constantly changing, but at the same time there are certain lines that always seem to be in vogue. Other styles come and go like the weather. We're constantly pushing ourselves to learn what our customers want, as well as what they have no interest in. Catapult really gives me a clear picture of my inventory movement from month to month. I like being able to look at my fast and slow moving items, both by item category and by manufacturer. What's makes it even better is that Catapult lets me view my inventory movement by any range of dates I choose. The system is very easy to use in the back room and at the point of sale. Catapult lets me spend time with my customers rather than forcing me to sit in front of a computer all day, which is the main reason I got into this business in the first place.

ECRS : Do you use Catapult to keep up with your customers?

Garcia : Yes. I love Catapult's customer tracking ability. It's very simple to use and keeps a cumulative record of everything each customer has ever bought in our store. We include notes about their interests in specific lines or products we don't currently have in stock. This way we can contact them when a new line comes in that matches up with their interests. There are currently just over 600 people in our customer database, and that figure is growing fast. Five or six times a year we generate address labels and do a bulk mailing to everyone in our Catapult customer database.

ECRS : How do you rate the quality of support you've received with Catapult?

Garcia : We have very few issues with the system, generally speaking. Whenever a question does arise, a technical person from our local Catapult dealership fixes things in a very timely and friendly manner.