Specialist retail VAR Retail Assist has extended its multimillion-pound service contract with high-street chain Adams Kids for a further five years.

After an £87m management buyout (MBO) of Adams from Sears Group in 1999, the retailer selected the service provider to outsource its IT for its 270 UK stores and 100 international outlets.

Alan Morris, managing director of Retail Assist, said: “After the MBO, Adams had no IT services and decided to outsource everything except an IT manager, so Retail Assist in effect became its IT department.”

The extended contract will include continuous application-level support in merchandising, warehousing and finance along with helpdesk, electronic point of sale, PC and network support.