With the announcement last week of the dissolution of inventory-management service Triunison, Parable is refocusing efforts to provide data services for its more-than 200 member stores and vendors utilizing software and intelligence built from the former partnership.

Triunison was founded in 2004 by Parable Group President Steve Potratz, Bookstore Manager creator Randy Voorhees and Appalachian Distributors founder Tom Torbett, to help cut costs and waste in Christian retail.

“Triunison helped advance the development of data as a tool to help reduce cost and improve profitability,” said Tim Blair, chief operations officer for Parable. “The technology developed through the partnership has been and will continue to be a great benefit to our stores.”

Under the umbrella of retail solutions, Parable has reshaped its merchandising division to focus on three distinct areas: merchandising support and systems, inventory control and visual merchandising. Parable Essential Inventory is a program that helps stores build inventory mix through P.O.S. data gathered from 175 stores.

“For the month of December, stores using the Parable Essential Inventory Program were up 3.04%, almost a full 5% higher than stores not using the program,” said Melissa Lundie, director of merchandising and corporate information services.

In March, Parable will roll out the music segment of Essential Inventory. Randy Ross, former music and marketing specialist for Wellspring Christian Resources in Des Moines, Iowa, and CMRC chairman for the Gospel Music Association, has joined the Parable merchandising division to oversee the development of Essential Inventory music.