Belk, Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.), the largest privately held department store company in the U.S., has announced plans to go online, and has chosen Blue Martini Software to develop its web site. Blue Martini, headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., is a provider of enterprise software applications. Its mission is to “integrate online and offline customer interaction and help build quality relationships with online customers.”
Belk, with 206 department stores in 13 U.S. states (mostly in the Southeast), is seeking to expand its business by providing customers with an additional channel for shopping. In the first phase, the site will seek to drive business to local Belk stores by giving Internet shoppers access to Belk's bridal registry. The new registry will enable brides and customers to select and keep track of registered items and place real-time orders for gift registry items. The e-commerce initiative will extend to additional online transactions, and in-store kiosk-based access to product and gift registry information. Belk is also integrating online ordering with order fulfillment operations. The site is expected to begin operation this fall.