SDCExec.com |

West Chester, PA — February 7, 2008 — Ferry-Morse Seed Company, headquartered in Fulton, Ky., has selected Prescient Applied Intelligence, Inc. to power its scan-based trading (SBT) program with Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., one of the nation's largest food retailers, based in the Southeastern United States.

Prior to implementing Prescient's SBT solution, Ferry-Morse said its seed products could not be found in Winn-Dixie stores.

Seed products are highly seasonal, and retailers are often reluctant to carry products that have a limited selling window because of the potential for excess inventory at the end of the growing season. But when Ferry-Morse offered to do SBT with Winn-Dixie — a commerce model where the supplier owns the inventory until it scans at the point of sale — the retailer agreed to take on the business.

Ferry-Morse Seed Company has been supplying garden seed products since 1856. In 2005, Jiffy of the Americas acquired the company to expand its presence in the home and garden market, where Ferry-Morse is a major player. Ferry-Morse will service 400 Winn-Dixie stores with over 400 products.

"Scan-based trading provided us with the opportunity to expand our business into a whole new retail outlet," said John Hoffman, regional sales manager for Ferry-Morse Seed Company. "It took the issue of excess inventory off the table. We chose Prescient as our partner because of its long-standing SBT relationship with Winn-Dixie."

Jane Hoffer, president and CEO of Prescient, added: "More and more, we are seeing companies like Ferry-Morse use SBT as a way to expand distribution and drive more sales. Because [Prescient has] established retailer and supplier communities, companies like Ferry-Morse benefit from the commerce relationships that already exist with retailers like Winn-Dixie."