Vectiv Speeds Up Apple Stores Rollout

Once Upon a Time... Way back in the old days -- eighteen months ago -- I wrote a Dispatch titled Want to Summit Quickly? Go to Campsix (August 25, 2000). In it, I described a visit to Campsix, a business incubator located in San Francisco's dot-com heartland.

Remember the incubators? They were those bustling hatcheries churning out innovative business models aimed at revolutionizing commerce. The name itself, Campsix, exuded confidence and spirit. (Campsix is the last camp before summiting Everest.) Well, Campsix is no more. But one of its progeny, Vectiv, is going strong, having raised over $20 million since its founding in 1999.

Vectiv provides "a collaboration and data management service to accelerate store openings and improve portfolio performance." Translation: Vectiv delivers research data (demographics, mapping, aerial photos) and a decision support framework (workflow templates customized to each retailer's practices) to all associated professionals (corporate, brokers, lawyers) for the online management of transactions.

Jack Novatney, VP Client Services, and the management team recently showed me the operation of their system in their Berkeley, CA, offices. According to Novatney, retailers have maximized the impact of techniques like supply chain management, point of sale merchandising and customer relationship management. So improving the real estate acquisition process is now the best way for retailers to increase bottom line profits.

Vectiv is a high-end, enterprise application geared to retailers that open a minimum of 25-50 stores annually. Last year, Apple and Harberg-Masinter, its Dallas-based broker, used Vectiv to rapidly launch 27 Apple stores. Currently two other large retailers are installing Vectiv to power their site acquisition efforts.

Correction... Oops. Tuesday's headline should have been Reality vs. GIS (Gossip, Innuendo and Speculation). Not GIP. Although "gyp" would make sense!

--Peter Pike