Secrets Shhh

About Secrets Shhh

Secrets Shhh is a fashion jewelry brand founded in 2000 by Jane Meredith and Dietmar Gorlich in Noosa, one of Australia’s most popular beachside destinations. The brand is renowned for its high-quality jewelry made entirely from conflict-free, sustainably produced, lab-grown diamond and gemstone simulants. Secrets Shhh is dedicated to promoting fair labor standards and safe working conditions for the artisans who craft their jewelry. In 2023, the company achieved Climate Active certification, demonstrating its commitment to carbon neutrality. 

The Challenge

Prior to partnering with Canary IT to implement LS Retail, Secrets Shhh managed its wholesale and retail operations using a variety of technologies, including MYOB Retail Manager, QuickBooks, and Adobe Business Catalyst. In 2020, Adobe announced the phase-out of the Catalyst solution, compelling Secrets Shhh to find a flexible, cost-effective replacement capable of running its entire operation. The company required a new business management software that was: 

• Built on a modern technological stack 

• Offering comprehensive POS and member management features 

• Enhancing the efficiency of fulfilling customer orders 

• Deployed in the cloud and available as a Software as a Service (SaaS) 

The Solution

Secrets Shhh evaluated several local and global solutions before selecting Canary IT to implement LS Central SaaS and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. LS Central covers all key business processes, including financials, sales, inventory, special orders, customers, and appointments. The software's modularity allows businesses to add functionality as needed. “Having a solution with the retail capabilities required to support our globally expanding business, in addition to comprehensive financial ERP and warehouse operations, was a major differentiator in the decision to go with LS Central,” says Adrian Murphy, Chief Operating Officer at Secrets Shhh. 

The company had only four months to set up and roll out LS Central across all its stores and head office operations. With local Platinum LS Retail partner Canary IT, the implementation was completed on schedule. Secrets Shhh prioritised essential features first and added more features after going live. They chose to run LS Central in the cloud with a 4G Failover option for online POS systems to ensure constant connectivity. 

Business Outcomes

Since implementing LS Central with Canary IT, Secrets Shhh has experienced several key improvements: 

• Unified System: By consolidating multiple disjointed systems into LS Central, Secrets Shhh now has a single source of truth for tracking profitability and business performance in real-time. “With LS Central’s Microsoft lineage, we can leverage Microsoft Power BI and Analytics for LS Central to gain insights that were previously not possible,” says Murphy. 

• Enhanced Order Processing: The company can now process all customer orders at the POS and track the fulfillment process in real-time, from receiving to delivery and returns processing. This capability allows them to sell items that aren’t in stock at the store but are available in the warehouse. “The ability to create and manage customer orders in the LS Central POS that seamlessly connect to the warehouse operations has been a significant improvement for all teams,” says Murphy. 

• Improved Customer Satisfaction: Customers now have complete visibility over their order status and can easily return or exchange items. The loyalty module and member management functionality enable Secrets Shhh to identify customer preferences, promote relevant products, and provide personalised rewards. “Having upsell and member management features directly in the POS has driven customer satisfaction and incremental revenue,” says Murphy. 

• Future Growth: The company is redesigning its eCommerce experience using the eCommerce for LS Central add-on and integration with Shopify to deliver a consistent shopping experience online and offline. Secrets Shhh is confident that Canary IT and LS Central will facilitate further growth in Australia and Canada. “We are now able to quickly react to market changes and easily deploy new stores to meet growth targets, which includes becoming global,” says Murphy.