WARRENDALE, Pa., Jan. 28, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- rue21, inc. (Nasdaq:RUE) today announced that the Company has successfully completed an upgrade to its 189,600 square foot distribution center and office facility located in Weirton, West Virginia. The improvements will enable the distribution center to support over 1,300 stores under the current business model and positions the company for future growth. The upgrade, which doubled the facility’s store packing capacity, included the implementation of a new pack-to-light system, structural, mechanical, and control systems as well as upgrades to the warehouse management system. The eight-month project was executed through a partnership of dedicated rue21 Distribution, IT, Allocation and Merchandising employees, in concert with business partners FORTE Industrial Equipment Systems, Island Pacific (WMS) and RSC-AIS Consulting.
Keith McDonough, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer stated: “Our Distribution Center operates continuously as our stores receive new products every day, so the upgrade plan was designed with redundancy to ensure an uninterrupted operational environment under any circumstance.” McDonough added, “The increased packing capacity, new systems and performance metrics will vastly improve the speed with which we can ship new merchandise.”
About rue21, inc.
rue21 is a leading specialty apparel retailer offering exclusive branded merchandise and the newest trends at a great value. As of January 1, 2010, rue21 operated 535 store locations in 43 states. Learn more at www.rue21.com.