Where They Started

Northbound Leather is a Toronto-based luxury leather brand known for handcrafted leather apparel and custom fetish gear. It serves customers across Canada, the US and internationally. While the brand’s craftsmanship and reputation remained strong, its digital operations had fallen behind.

Core systems, including e-commerce, POS, inventory, customer data and finance, operated in silos. Inventory was managed through spreadsheets, customer data was fragmented and sensitive information was stored locally, creating inefficiencies and security risks.

Despite having more than 37,000 customer contacts, the business lacked a centralized CRM and structured digital marketing approach. A partially developed direct-to-consumer website failed to generate meaningful online sales. Limited SEO and social activity constrained digital visibility.

Northbound Leather required more than incremental improvements. They needed a clearly integrated digital transformation strategy that could modernize operations, improve customer engagement and support long-term growth, while meeting Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) requirements.

Problem & Solution

The Challenge

Northbound Leather faced several structural challenges common to legacy luxury retailers:

• Disconnected e-commerce, POS, inventory and customer systems
• Heavy reliance on manual processes and spreadsheet-based workflows
• No centralized CRM or usable customer data platform
• Limited SEO performance and underutilized digital marketing channels
• Data security risks from local data storage
• Limited ability to scale online sales or expand into new markets

To remain competitive, the business needed a well-defined and future-ready digital ecosystem. One that could support automation, personalization and scale without compromising brand identity.

The 6ixSenses Solution

6ixSenses led a systems-first transformation consultation focused on architecture, integration planning and execution readiness. This was not a surface-level review. But a deep strategic engagement designed to inform long-term implementation.

Through a structured advisory process, 6ixSenses:

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• Designed a multi-storefront architecture e-commerce strategy outlining how Northbound Leather could serve niche and public audiences from a single backend. The model addressed complex SKU structures, product discoverability and optimized paths to purchase.
• Defined an ERP-led operating model, mapping how e-commerce, POS, and inventory systems should integrate to replace fragmented workflows. The strategy identified opportunities to eliminate manual reconciliation, reduce operational errors, and introduce real-time visibility across stock, orders and fulfillment.
• Delivered a digital experience and UX roadmap, recommending improvements to site structure, navigation, performance, and checkout flow to reduce friction and establish a stronger foundation for organic growth.
• Produced a system integration and automation blueprint, outlining how data synchronization and operational workflows should function across platforms to support stability, scalability and future expansion.
• Developed a CRM and customer data strategy, including ncluding data hygiene, segmentation models, and compliant activation approaches for over 37,000 customer records. This enables personalized communication and more effective campaign execution once implemented.

All recommendations were delivered as implementation-ready documentation, allowing internal teams or external partners to execute with clarity and confidence.

Projected Impact & Results 

Based on industry benchmarks for ERP-led e-commerce transformations in luxury retail, the implementation is expected to deliver:

• 30-45% reduction in manual administrative workload
• 25-35% improvement in inventory accuracy and stock control
• 20-35% increase in online revenue within 12 months
• 15-25% lift in email open rates through segmented CRM campaigns
• 10-20% growth in repeat customer purchases
• 40%+ increase in international product visibility through marketplace expansion

 These outcomes represent expected results upon execution of the recommended roadmap.

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The Sum Up

What began as a need to modernize disconnected systems evolved into a comprehensive digital transformation strategy. Through its advisory engagement, 6ixSenses helped Northbound Leather move from fragmented workflows to a clearly defined, scalable and secure digital operating model.

The engagement provided leadership with the clarity, structure and confidence needed to execute a full transformation. It strengthens operational efficiency, improving customer engagement and positioning the brand for sustainable growth in the competitive luxury leather and apparel market, without compromising the craftsmanship and identity that define Northbound Leather.

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