Omnichannel Platform for a Retail Chain
Typical problem: retail chain launched an online store but it lives separately from offline. Inventory doesn't match, 40–50% of carts are abandoned, the client sees two different companies. Solution — integration, not a new website.
A typical situation: a retail chain of 50–60+ stores decides to go online. Launches an online store, drives traffic, starts getting orders. Then the problems begin.
A client orders an item at the website price — but the store has a different price. They place an order — a day later someone calls: the item isn’t available, the inventory was from yesterday. They want to return an online purchase at a store — they’re told to call the call center. The loyalty program only works at the checkout. The client sees not one company but two — and trust falls.
Why does this happen? The online store and retail chain exist as two separate businesses. Different catalogs, different inventory, different clients. ERP knows about the stores; the website runs on its own database. Inventory updates once a day, and in that time the picture changes completely.
The right approach is not to rebuild the website but to integrate it with offline. A unified catalog with live inventory (updated every 15 minutes), click-and-collect, CRM with a unified client profile, omnichannel loyalty program. Neither the website nor ERP is replaced — they are connected. The most complex technical challenge is synchronizing inventory between batch ERP and realtime e-commerce. Solved through an intermediate cache with reservations, and the rate of erroneous orders falls from 45% to 3%.
What to expect: online sales grow 2–3×, abandoned carts halve, click-and-collect becomes 30–35% of all online orders, repeat purchases grow 40% through the loyalty program. The client stops seeing two separate companies.
Typical Problem
The retail chain launched an online store, but it exists separately from offline. Inventory on the website doesn't match reality — a client places an order and a day later gets a call: 'sorry, out of stock.' 40–50% of carts are abandoned. Returns are increasing. Loyalty is declining. If your chain launched e-commerce and ran into these problems — the cause is almost certainly not the website.
Why This Happens
Systemic problem: the online store and retail chain operate as two separate businesses. Different product catalog. Unsynchronized inventory. Independent pricing. Loyalty program — offline only. ERP knows about the stores but not the website. CRM doesn't exist — client data is lost after purchase. The website runs on its own product database with manual inventory updates once a day. In a day, the picture changes completely.
How We Diagnose It
In diagnostics we look for two root factors. First — absence of integration between e-commerce and ERP. The website runs on its own database with manual inventory updates that go stale within hours. Second — no unified client profile. Offline and online shoppers are two different people to the company. Until these two gaps are closed, no website improvements will help.
The Right Model
Omnichannel model with four components: (1) unified catalog and real-time inventory management via ERP integration; (2) click-and-collect — order online, pick up in-store; (3) CRM with unified client profile (online + offline); (4) omnichannel loyalty program. Neither the website nor ERP is replaced — they are integrated.
How We Implement It
A typical project takes 5–6 months. We integrate e-commerce with ERP — inventory updated every 15 minutes; launch click-and-collect at key stores; implement CRM with unified client profile; move the loyalty program online; configure personalized recommendations based on purchase history. The most complex stage is inventory synchronization: ERP updates data in batches, e-commerce requires near-realtime. Solved via an intermediate cache with invalidation and reservation at order placement.
How the Team Works
Projects like this run with a team of 7: 2 backend developers, 1 frontend developer, 1 integration specialist, 1 analyst, 1 UX designer, 1 tester. I define the platform architecture, integration model, and CRM strategy. The team implements, tests, and documents.
Results
If your retail chain has launched an online store but it lives separately from offline — don't spend money on a website redesign. The problem is ERP integration and absence of a unified client profile. Connect online and offline — and sales will grow substantially.
Key Lessons
- • Omnichannel is not website + store, it's a unified product, client, and order management system. While the website and chain live separately, the client sees two companies.
- • Inventory synchronization is job number one. Start with it, otherwise everything else is useless.
- • Click-and-collect is the fastest path to omnichannel: less logistics, more traffic to stores, and the client gets the item the same day.
- • CRM in retail starts with a loyalty program — it's the only way to identify a client between purchases.
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