Pitney Bowes Solutions Will Employed by French Firm PPR

PPR Group will use e-commerce technology and international shipping services from Pitney Bowes Inc to expand the online global reach of some of its luxury brands. PPR Group will use Pitney Bowes's e-commerce software and services to help offer a seamless and convenient cross-border purchasing experience for online shoppers.

The agreement will facilitate shipping of some PPR brands' sumptuous, high-end products to destinations in several countries worldwide.

This will enable the brands to leverage Pitney Bowes's ClearPath service to offer international buyers the ability to receive a guaranteed, fully landed cost quote that includes duties, taxes, and brokerage fees during the online checkout process. Displaying full landed costs upfront helps ensure there are no surprises for buyers with additional fees at the time of delivery.

"PPR Group is an international leader in apparel and accessories, specializing in premium brands in the Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle segments, that are the standard for quality and luxury worldwide," said Craig Reed, vice president, e-commerce solutions at Pitney Bowes. "We are honored to be collaborating with PPR to help create the easiest, most intuitive and most efficient online shopping experience for their global buyers."

Pitney Bowes offers a comprehensive suite of e-commerce solutions for international sales. The company's Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions help leading retailers sell to international customers, reduce the challenges associated with international e-commerce, and grow their business.

The Pitney Bowes ClearPath Services Suite offers an array of API-driven (Application Programming Interface) web services to facilitate cross-border sales to 90 countries. Through one integration, retailers can access ClearPath services including: duty and tax calculation, fully landed and guaranteed costs at checkout, customs and brokerage management, import and export management, optimized global shipping, international address validation, denied parties screening, and parcel protection.

Delivering more than 90 years of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business through advanced customer communications management. Pitney Bowes is a $5.3 billion company with 29,000 employees worldwide.

The PPR Group empowers a coherent ensemble of Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle premium brands, specializing in apparel and accessories, to reach their full growth potential. Distributed in more than 120 countries, PPR generated revenues of €12.2 billion in 2011 and had over 47,000 employees at year end.