Apparel21
Apparel21 provides vertical ERP software for the fashion, apparel and footwear industry, covering retail, wholesale, production and ecommerce on a single platform built around style, colour and size as native data entities. It serves 125+ customers, 500+ brands and 3,000+ retail locations across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and is a subsidiary of Vela Software Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersRichmond, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Apparel21 does
Apparel21 (legally Apparel21 Pty Ltd) is a vertical ERP software vendor that has, since 1984, sold a fashion-native platform to apparel, footwear and accessories businesses. The system is architected around style, colour and size as first-class data entities, which the vendor cites as enabling 70-80% out-of-box fit versus 20-30% for generalist ERPs. The product portfolio covers retail back-office and POS, wholesale order management, production lifecycle planning, marketplace/ecommerce integration (AP21 Connect), a wholesale self-service portal (SalesNet), a mobile POS (Envimo), and a BI/reporting module (Insight), all on a single unified data structure.
The company serves an enterprise customer base of 125+ customers representing 500+ brands and approximately 3,000 retail locations, and claims roughly 20% of Australian clothing and footwear shopfronts. Named customers include Accent Group, Brand Collective, Retail Apparel Group, Decjuba, CALIBRE, Austin Group (GAZMAN, Cable Melbourne, Perri Cutten), Texas Peak Group (Brooks Running), MJ Bale, Aje, Aquila, General Pants Co and APG & Co. Revenue is generated through annual subscription licensing for the core ERP and modules, supplemented by professional services for implementation, configuration and training. The company sells via consultative enterprise field sales with a 'Request a Demo' CTA, supported by content marketing and partner referrals.
Apparel21 is headquartered in Richmond (Melbourne), Australia, with a UK regional office in Bishops Stortford opened in May 2024. The company is a subsidiary of Vela Software Group (part of the Constellation Software stable of vertical-market software businesses), has 51-100 employees, achieved ISO 27001 certification in August 2024, and operates across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Apparel21 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apparel21
- Legal name
- Apparel21 Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://apparel21.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Apparel21 provides vertical ERP software for the fashion, apparel and footwear industry, covering retail, wholesale, production and ecommerce on a single platform built around style, colour and size as native data entities. It serves 125+ customers, 500+ brands and 3,000+ retail locations across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and is a subsidiary of Vela Software Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Apparel21 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Apparel21 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- ERP Software Subscriptions: Annual subscription-based licensing for access to the Apparel21 ERP platform including retail, wholesale, production, and ecommerce modules. Pricing varies by business size and modules selected.
- Professional Services: Implementation, configuration, and training services to deploy the ERP system. Includes knowledge centre resources and support services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise ERP licensing with modular pricing based on business requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Apparel21 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apparel21 is a fashion-specific ERP software platform that helps apparel brands, retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers manage end-to-end operations including retail point-of-sale, wholesale order management, production planning, ecommerce marketplace integration, and business intelligence reporting. The platform is built on four decades of apparel-industry expertise and serves more than 500 brands across approximately 3,000 retail locations, with a particularly strong footprint in the Australian clothing and footwear market.
Product overview
Apparel21 is a unified fashion ERP software platform designed specifically for the fashion, clothing, and footwear industry. The core platform is built around style, colour, and size as foundational data entities, covering retail, wholesale, production, and ecommerce in a single integrated system. The product portfolio comprises the core Apparel21 ERP platform plus specialised modules: Retail Solutions (integrated retail back office and POS), Wholesale Solutions (order management and despatch for wholesale channels), Production Solutions (lifecycle planning, costing, and tracking), AP21 Connect (marketplace and ecommerce integration connecting to Shopify and marketplaces like The Iconic and Macy's), SalesNet (wholesale self-service customer portal), Envimo (cloud-based POS and client engagement tool supporting omnichannel capabilities such as Click & Collect, Ship from Store, and Floor to Door), Insight (business intelligence and real-time reporting), and the Knowledge Centre (client training and support resources).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Envimo: Point of Sale (POS) solution for fashion retailers enabling seamless transitions between online and in-store experiences with mobile POS capabilities.
- SalesNet
- Insight
- AP21 Connect
Products and services
- Apparel21 Core ERP Platform
- Retail Solutions
- Wholesale Solutions
- Production Solutions
- AP21 Connect
- SalesNet
- Envimo
- Insight
- Knowledge Centre
Quantifiable outcome
- Implementation timelines of 6-9 months vs years for generalist ERP platforms
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Apparel21
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Apparel21 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature7 records
Apparel21 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SPS CommercecoreVAN (Value Added Network) partner for EDI integration. Apparel21's new standardized JSON file-based integration approach works with SPS Commerce for faster, more reliable onboarding of new trading partner connections.
- IPTcoreVAN partner for EDI integration supporting ANSI and EDIFACT document transmission. Part of the new standardized integration framework.
- mx51coreLong-standing payment integration partnership. mx51's innovative integration with Apparel21 has streamlined processes and enhanced customer experience. Described as a valued partner for many years with strategic alignment.
- ShippitcoreShipping integration partner enabling flexible fulfillment options including Uber deliveries, alternate pricing for international shipping, and next-day delivery capabilities. Supports Decjuba's Floor-to-Door and Ship from Store operations.
- AdyencorePayment processing integration partner enabling seamless payment acceptance across retail and ecommerce channels.
- StripecorePayment integration partner supporting Stripe Terminal for in-store payments and tap-to-pay functionality. Integrated with Envimo POS solution.
- ShopifycoreEcommerce platform integration through Apparel21 Connect, enabling seamless product sync, inventory management, and order processing. Enables CALIBRE's omnichannel transformation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Apparel21 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Lectra: Lectra provides PLM, CAD, and fashion-specific software solutions to apparel, footwear, and furniture manufacturers. It is complementary/adjacent to Apparel21, especially around product development and production lifecycle management.
- Joor: Joor is a B2B wholesale marketplace and order management platform for fashion brands. While not a full ERP, it overlaps with Apparel21's SalesNet wholesale portal functionality and competes for the same wholesale fashion customer workflows.
- NuOrder: NuOrder (now part of Lightspeed) provides a B2B commerce and wholesale platform for fashion and apparel brands. It competes with Apparel21's SalesNet and wholesale order management capabilities, particularly for brands prioritising digital showrooms.
Direct peers
- CGS (BlueCherry): BlueCherry by CGS is an ERP suite built specifically for apparel, footwear, and sewn-products manufacturers and brands. It competes head-to-head with Apparel21 in fashion ERP, serving similar retail, wholesale, and production workflows.
- Centric Software: Provides PLM, PIM, and ERP-adjacent software purpose-built for fashion, retail, and footwear brands. It is the most directly comparable vertical SaaS vendor to Apparel21, targeting the same customer base with a similarly fashion-native product architecture.
- K3 Software (K3 Fashion): K3 (now part of K3 Business Technology Group) delivers fashion-specific ERP solutions for apparel, footwear, and lifestyle brands, particularly in the UK and European markets where Apparel21 is now expanding. It is one of the closest vertical peers.
Broad incumbents
- Infor (CloudSuite Fashion): Infor's CloudSuite Fashion is a vertical ERP for apparel, footwear, and fashion brands, backed by a much larger global software vendor. It overlaps with Apparel21's retail, wholesale, and production functionality but is part of a much broader enterprise software portfolio.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Fashion & Retail): Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain is used by many fashion and apparel brands as a generalist ERP alternative to Apparel21. It brings Azure-scale infrastructure and the broader Microsoft ecosystem but lacks Apparel21's fashion-native data model.
- SAP (S/4HANA Fashion and Retail): SAP offers industry templates for fashion and vertical retail within S/4HANA. While not a pure-play fashion ERP, it competes for the same enterprise customers that Apparel21 targets, leveraging far greater scale and integration breadth.
- Oracle NetSuite: NetSuite is a cloud ERP widely adopted by mid-market and growth-stage fashion and apparel brands. It competes with Apparel21 for the same fashion retail and wholesale customers but as part of a horizontal cloud ERP suite.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Apparel21 social profiles
Digital presenceApparel21 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Apparel21 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apparel21 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Apparel21 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apparel21 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apparel21
What does Apparel21 do?
Apparel21 is a fashion-specific ERP software platform that helps apparel brands, retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers manage end-to-end operations including retail point-of-sale, wholesale order management, production planning, ecommerce marketplace integration, and business intelligence reporting. The platform is built on four decades of apparel-industry expertise and serves more than 500 brands across approximately 3,000 retail locations, with a particularly strong footprint in the Australian clothing and footwear market.
Is Apparel21 a public or private company?
Apparel21 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Apparel21 founded?
Apparel21 was founded in 1984. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Apparel21 based?
Apparel21 is headquartered in Richmond, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Apparel21 make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. ERP Software Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are Apparel21's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Lectra, Joor and NuOrder. Direct peers are CGS (BlueCherry), Centric Software and K3 Software (K3 Fashion). Broad incumbents are Infor (CloudSuite Fashion), Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Fashion & Retail), SAP (S/4HANA Fashion and Retail) and Oracle NetSuite.
Does Apparel21 have an API?
Yes. API support exists for user management — specifically the ability to create, update, and deactivate users from external systems. This is noted in the v2026.2 release under the Users web application. EDI integrations use a standardised JSON file specification for new VAN-based connections (SPS Commerce, IPT). No public developer portal, API reference documentation, or SDK is explicitly mentioned.