GapKids and babyGap announce plans for a new collection created for Gap by Stella McCartney. Expected to launch in late 2009, the collection will be carried in select GapKids and babyGap stores in the United States and Canada, the UK, France and Ireland, and Japan, as well as online in the US.

"We're thrilled to have the opportunity to build on successful past collaborations with a world class design talent like Stella," said Marka Hansen, president of Gap brand. "I'm looking forward to offering our GapKids and babyGap customers her unique interpretation of Gap's casual American aesthetic. Her experience as a parent and designer are sure to delight both kids and parents alike."

Stella McCartney comments, "For years now I've wanted to create a collection for kids, it's something I've often been asked about. I believe that this one-off collaboration will be a great way for customers to be able to participate in the Stella McCartney brand. I believe that kids clothing should be more accessibly priced, which is particularly important at the moment given the current climate. It's really exciting for us to do a boys and girls collection for the first time."

ecVision offers new functional modules that extend the capabilities in XpressCommerce. The Audit and Inspect modules help retailers and private label manufacturers to collaborate with internal and external teams to ensure factory/supplier compliance, product quality and brand protection.

As a role-based system, users of these modules can include internal sourcing, quality assurance and legal teams, overseas buying offices, suppliers, agents, external inspectors, and others to achieve greater visibility into the processes.

ecVision XpressCommerce is a modular, configurable, Web-based solution for private label owners and manufacturers to facilitate better relationships with trading partners through standardized documents and process flow from product concept to receipt.

The Audit module provides the ability to:
- Communicate with inspection teams and schedule compliance inspections
- Calendar and schedule recurring audits
- Monitor and manage vendor and factory performance for on-time delivery, social compliance,
environmental footprint, and regulatory compliance
- Establish audit processes and ensure audits are performed and compliance is reached
- Analyze risk by cross-matching current and future activity with non-compliant suppliers
- Select suppliers that meet compliance standards using KPIs
- Lockdown activity, like future orders, with non-compliant suppliers

The capabilities in the Inspect module enable the:
- Scheduling of product inspections with audit and inspection companies
- Online inspection forms for tracking production quality and compliance results
- Enforces consistent standards
- Building of KPI scorecards based on product quality
- Retailers to lock-down activity with non-compliant suppliers

GSI Commerce announces the launch of ShipQuik, a proprietary package-delivery program for its clients. Under the ShipQuik program, GSI presorts and loads packages itself at its fulfillment centers, further optimizing UPS's ground service for its clients.

As part of the ShipQuik program, GSI selected UPS as its strategic partner for its advanced ground package delivery network and unique infrastructure. The UPS solution complements GSI's scale and network of fulfillment centers, which totals more than two million square feet.

GSI implemented new software for UPS service and zip code sorting, conveyor sortation and routing, and dock manifest scheduling. The company also enhanced its warehouse management and freight management systems in support of the new solution. More than 88 percent of the total client volume currently processed within GSI's fulfillment centers moves through the ShipQuik program.