ClearCourse acquires retail management software provider Swan

London | 05 November 2020 – ClearCourse Partnership LLP (“ClearCourse” or “the Group”), a group of innovative technology companies providing useful, integrated software solutions, today announces the acquisition of The Swan Group (“Swan” or “the Company”), a leading provider of retail management software. Swan becomes the 21st company to join ClearCourse, adding to the Group’s EPOS, CRM, and eCommerce capabilities.

Founded in 2003, Swan has built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading software providers for businesses operating in the retail and hospitality sectors. The Swan Group has several brands, including Swan Retail, which cater to retailers such as furniture stores, garden centres, department stores and sports stadiums. Some of the large UK retailers it supports include Furniture Village, Fenwicks, Jollyes, and Rohan. The Company provides a full end-to-end digital service, from cutting-edge proprietary software to its own in-house design agency, Standout. This fully integrated approach makes Swan unique within the retail management technology industry.

The Swan Group has made several acquisitions over the past few years, adding Touchretail to the Group in 2019 and Standout in 2018. Swan also has a wide portfolio of products encompassing till systems, back office functions and web design, which it has been expanding in tune with new technology and changing consumer behaviour. In the background, it has achieved continued organic growth through investing in its established products SRS, FRS, Midas and TRIMS as well as its new Cygnus EPOS system.

It is an exciting time for the Swan Group with the development and roll out of new products such as its Cygnus EPOS, and a loyalty app called FUSE. The latter of which won a new product launch award at the Glee garden centre show in September, while Cygnus and FUSE were both shortlisted in the 2020 Retail Systems Awards.

The Company currently has over 65 staff based across the UK, in Waterlooville, Cheadle, Leicester, Hull and Bradford.

Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, commented:

“We are delighted to welcome The Swan Group to ClearCourse. Swan’s CRM, EPOS and eCommerce offering will continue to bolster our existing portfolio and help deliver better services for our diverse pool of customers across all sectors. The Swan Group is an impressive player in the industry and we’re very much looking forward to having them on board.”

David Thompson, CEO of The Swan Group, commented:

“ClearCourse has a strong reputation for creating new opportunities and driving growth. Gerry and the team are the right fit to ensure that our own staff and customers are well looked after. Swan will benefit from greater investment and the opportunity to work alongside a range of complementary businesses. I am excited to see Swan’s stakeholders benefit from the positive experience that being part of the group will bring.”

Notes to Editors

About ClearCourse Partnership LLP

ClearCourse is a group of innovative technology companies providing useful, integrated solutions to help organisations like yours become more efficient, more effective, and more profitable.

Our companies service the government & NFP, events & booking, lifestyle, sports & leisure, and business services sectors, providing solutions that grow with your business, adding essential functionality that helps you achieve your goals.

By working with a ClearCourse company you benefit from a technology partner with a deep understanding of your organisational challenges, the security that comes from private equity backing and the collective years of experience across the group.

To learn more about ClearCourse and discover more companies in the Group visit http://www.clearcoursellp.com/. 

About The Swan Group

Swan offers comprehensive solutions covering EPOS, stock management, accounts, customer ordering, warehousing, CRM and eCommerce for the smallest businesses to the largest multi-nationals. They specialise in furniture and homeware stores, garden centres, fashion stores, sports stadiums and department stores.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the retail software industry, their software applications are created by their team of developers right across the UK, in their offices in Waterlooville, Cheadle, Hull and Bradford. It has a dedicated US team, and its design agency lives in Leicester.

To learn more about The Swan Group, visit https://www.swanretail.co.uk/.