ON-PREMISE CRM VS ON-CLOUD CRM: KEY DIFFERENCES

In today’s fast-paced digital world, eCommerce has become a crucial aspect of how businesses operate and grow. As global internet access and adoption rapidly increase, with over five billion internet users worldwide, the number of people making purchases online is ever-increasing. In 2024, retail eCommerce sales are estimated to exceed 6.3 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide, and this figure is expected to reach new heights in the coming years.

Knowing this, companies are constantly seeking ways to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and provide a seamless customer experience. This is where eCommerce automation comes into play.

By leveraging advanced technologies and tools, businesses can automate repetitive tasks, streamline operations, and scale their efforts without the need for proportional increases in manual labor.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the concept of eCommerce automation, exploring its benefits and drawbacks to help you understand how it can transform your online business. Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, understanding eCommerce automation can be a game-changer in optimizing your operations and staying competitive in the market.

1. What is eCommerce Automation?

At its core, eCommerce automation involves the use of software, tools, and technologies to streamline and automate various aspects of online business operations. This includes a wide range of tasks, from inventory management and order processing to marketing campaigns and customer service.

Essentially, eCommerce automation aims to reduce the need for manual intervention in repetitive and time-consuming processes, allowing you to operate more efficiently and effectively. By automating routine tasks, you can free up valuable time and resources, enabling them to focus on strategic initiatives, innovation, and providing exceptional customer experiences. Whether it’s automatically updating inventory levels, sending personalized marketing emails, or providing instant customer support through chatbots, eCommerce automation empowers your team to work smarter, not harder, in today’s digital marketplace.

2. Five tasks you should automate

There are numerous tasks ripe for automation, but here are five crucial ones: inventory management, order processing, marketing campaigns, customer service, and reporting/analytics.

2.1 Inventory Management

Imagine you run an online store selling various products. Keeping track of inventory levels manually can be time-consuming and prone to errors. With automation, you can set up systems that automatically update your stock levels whenever a purchase is made or new stock arrives. Additionally, you can configure alerts to notify you when certain items are running low, prompting you to reorder them before they run out.

2.2 Order Processing

When a customer places an order on your website, there are several steps involved in processing and fulfilling that order. Automation can streamline this process by automatically routing orders to the appropriate fulfillment center or warehouse. It can also generate packing slips and shipping labels, ensuring that orders are processed quickly and accurately. With automated order tracking, both you and your customers can easily monitor the status of their orders from placement to delivery.

2.3 Marketing Campaigns

Marketing is essential for promoting your products and attracting customers to your online store. Automation can help you save time and reach a larger audience by automating email marketing campaigns and social media posts. You can set up automated email sequences to welcome new subscribers, nurture leads, and recover abandoned carts. Similarly, you can schedule social media posts in advance, ensuring consistent engagement with your audience across different platforms.

2.4 Customer Service

Providing excellent customer service is crucial for building trust and loyalty with your customers. However, managing customer inquiries and support tickets manually can be overwhelming, especially as your business grows. Automation can help lighten the load by using chatbots and automated response systems to handle common inquiries and support requests. These systems can provide instant responses to frequently asked questions, route complex queries to human agents, and even offer 24/7 support, improving the overall customer experience.

2.5 Reporting and Analytics

To make informed decisions and track the performance of your online store, you need access to accurate data and analytics. Manually collecting and analyzing data from various sources can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Automation can simplify this process by automatically collecting data from your website, sales platforms, and marketing channels. It can then generate customized reports and dashboards, providing valuable insights into your sales performance, customer behavior, and marketing ROI. With automated reporting and analytics, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your eCommerce operations and drive business growth.

By automating these five key tasks, you can streamline your eCommerce operations, improve efficiency, and focus your time and resources on growing your business and providing exceptional customer experiences.

3. Benefits of eCommerce automation

Adopting eCommerce automation can brings your business many benefits. Here are some of them

3.1 Efficiency

Automation streamlines your business processes by taking care of repetitive tasks, freeing up your time to focus on more strategic activities. Instead of manually updating inventory or processing orders, automation tools can handle these tasks quickly and efficiently, allowing you to operate more smoothly and effectively.

3.2 Accuracy

By reducing reliance on manual data entry and human intervention, eCommerce automation helps minimize the risk of errors. Whether it’s updating inventory levels or processing customer orders, automated systems can perform tasks with a high level of accuracy, ensuring that your business operations run smoothly and your customers receive the correct products on time.

3.3 Scalability

As your eCommerce business grows, automation allows you to scale your operations without a proportional increase in workload. Whether you’re handling a handful of orders or thousands of transactions per day, automated systems can adapt to the increasing demands of your business, ensuring that you can meet customer needs efficiently and effectively.

3.4 Cost Savings

While there may be initial investments required to implement automation tools and systems, the long-term cost savings can be significant. By streamlining your operations, reducing errors, and improving efficiency, eCommerce automation helps lower your overall operational costs, allowing you to allocate resources more effectively and invest in other areas of your business.

3.5 Enhanced Customer Experience

In today’s competitive eCommerce landscape, providing exceptional customer service is essential for building brand loyalty and driving repeat business. Automation plays a key role in enhancing the customer experience by providing quicker and more consistent service. Whether it’s responding to customer inquiries instantly with chatbots or delivering personalized marketing messages based on customer preferences, eCommerce automation helps create a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience for your customers, ultimately leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

By leveraging the benefits of eCommerce automation, you can streamline your operations, reduce costs, and deliver a superior customer experience, ultimately driving growth and success in the competitive online marketplace.

4. Drawbacks of eCommerce automation

While eCommerce automation offers numerous benefits, there are also some drawbacks to consider.

4.1 Initial Costs

Implementing eCommerce automation systems can incur significant upfront expenses. You may need to invest in software licenses, hardware infrastructure, and training for employees to effectively use these systems. For enterprises with limited financial resources, or don’t want to invest too much in this aspect, these initial costs can be a barrier to adoption.

4.2 Complexity

Adopting eCommerce automation often involves navigating complex systems and technologies. You may encounter challenges in integrating automation tools with your existing workflows and processes. Additionally, employees may require time and training to familiarize themselves with the new systems, leading to potential productivity disruptions during the transition period.

4.3 Over-reliance

While automation can enhance efficiency and streamline operations, your team risk becoming overly dependent on technology. Reliance on automated systems may leave you vulnerable to disruptions such as technical failures or system downtimes. Without proper contingency plans in place, these disruptions could significantly impact business operations and customer satisfaction.

4.4 Customization Limits 

Off-the-shelf automation solutions may not always fully align with the unique needs and requirements of every business. Customizing and tailoring automation tools to fit specific business processes can be challenging and time-consuming. You may find yourself constrained by the limitations of pre-built automation solutions, hindering your ability to fully optimize your eCommerce operations.

4.5 Impact on Jobs

One of the most significant concerns surrounding eCommerce automation is its potential impact on employment. As your business automate repetitive and manual tasks, there is a risk of job displacement for workers whose roles are replaced by automated systems. This could lead to workforce reductions and require you to invest in reskilling and retraining programs for affected employees.

By understanding and addressing these drawbacks, you can make informed decisions about the extent to which you adopt eCommerce automation, mitigating potential challenges and maximizing the benefits of automation for your operations.

5. Case Study: Success Stories

5.1 Amazon

Background: Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, has evolved from an online bookstore to one of the world’s largest eCommerce platforms. With a vast array of products and a global customer base, Amazon’s success lies in its ability to innovate and optimize its operations continuously.

Automation Implemented: Amazon has heavily invested in automation across various aspects of its eCommerce operations.

• Inventory Management: To manage its extensive inventory efficiently, Amazon utilizes robots and automated sorting systems in its warehouses. These robots navigate through the aisles, retrieving items and bringing them to human workers for packing and shipping.
• Order Fulfillment: Amazon’s order fulfillment process is highly automated. Automated packing machines pack orders quickly and accurately, while conveyor belts transport packages to shipping stations. Robotic arms label and sort packages, ensuring that orders are dispatched promptly.

Results: Amazon’s automation efforts have yielded several significant benefits:

• Increased Efficiency and Speed: By automating tasks such as inventory management and order fulfillment, Amazon has significantly increased its operational efficiency. Orders are processed and shipped faster, reducing delivery times and improving overall customer satisfaction.
• Reduced Errors in Order Processing: Automation has minimized the risk of errors in order processing. With robotic systems handling tasks such as picking and packing, the likelihood of mistakes is greatly reduced, ensuring that customers receive the correct items in their orders.
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction with Quicker Delivery Times: Faster order processing and shipping have led to quicker delivery times for Amazon customers. With the implementation of automation, Amazon can fulfill orders more rapidly, meeting customer expectations for speedy delivery and enhancing their overall shopping experience.

5.2 Sephora

Background: Sephora is a leading global beauty retailer known for its wide range of cosmetics, skincare, and fragrance products. With a strong presence both in physical stores and online, Sephora has built a reputation for offering high-quality products and exceptional customer service.

Automation Implemented: Sephora has leveraged automation to enhance its personalized marketing efforts, catering to the unique preferences of individual customers.

• Data-driven Product Recommendations: Sephora utilizes customer data to analyze purchase history, browsing behavior, and product preferences. Based on this data, Sephora’s website and mobile app generate personalized product recommendations for each customer, suggesting items that align with their interests and needs.
• Automated Email Campaigns Tailored to Individual Customer Preferences: Sephora sends automated email campaigns tailored to each customer’s preferences and shopping habits. These emails include personalized product recommendations, exclusive offers, and reminders about new product launches or promotions. By segmenting its customer base and sending targeted emails, Sephora ensures that its marketing messages resonate with each recipient.

Results: Sephora’s automation efforts have yielded several positive outcomes:

• Improved Customer Engagement and Loyalty: By delivering personalized marketing messages, Sephora has strengthened its relationship with customers, leading to increased engagement and loyalty. Customers appreciate receiving relevant product recommendations and exclusive offers tailored to their preferences, leading to a deeper connection with the brand.
• Increased Sales Through Targeted Marketing: Sephora’s targeted marketing campaigns have proven highly effective in driving sales. By delivering personalized recommendations and promotions, Sephora encourages customers to make additional purchases, increasing their overall spend and lifetime value. The combination of personalized marketing and seamless shopping experiences has resulted in higher conversion rates and revenue growth for Sephora’s eCommerce platform.

Final Words

eCommerce automation offers significant benefits like increased efficiency and enhanced customer satisfaction, but it also poses challenges such as initial costs and job displacement. However, by carefully implementing automation tools and strategies, businesses can streamline operations and drive growth. Case studies of companies like Amazon and Sephora demonstrate the transformative impact of automation on eCommerce success.

Ready to take your eCommerce empire to the next level? Contact SECOMM today!

Over the past decade, Magento has solidified its position as one of the leading eCommerce platforms in the market. With its robust capabilities, the platform serves not only B2C businesses but is also a popular choice for enterprises.

By combining Magento’s strength with the specific requirements of B2B Commerce, you can leverage this platform’s powerful benefits. In the following part of the article, let’s explore 10 reasons why Magento is the ideal choice for deploying this great business model.

What is B2B Commerce?

Business-to-business commerce (B2B Commerce) refers to the buying and selling of goods or services between businesses rather than between a business and end consumers (B2C). In the B2B environment, transactions often occur on a large scale and involve large orders, long-term contracts, and strategic partnerships.

This business model has distinct characteristics and requirements compared to B2C Commerce. In the B2B world, businesses typically have more complex demands regarding product management, order management, customer management, and compatibility with enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and other systems.

Additionally, the business model often requires features such as order confirmation, complex payment processes, batch ordering, and wholesale pricing. For B2B enterprises, choosing a suitable eCommerce platform is crucial to ensuring business efficiency and delivering the best user experience for their partners and customers.

What is Magento?

Magento is a powerful and flexible eCommerce platform developed by Magento Inc., a subsidiary of Adobe. Launched in 2008, it quickly became one of the top choices for you looking to build and operate professional online stores.

It allows you to create custom eCommerce websites. This platform provides a range of features, including product management, order management, payment integration, customer management, and many others, enabling you to easily manage and operate your online stores efficiently.

It is built on open-source code, meaning that you can access and customize the platform’s source code based on specific technical requirements.

Ten reasons why you should choose Magento for B2B Commerce

Reason 1: Customization and scalability

Magento’s open-source platform characteristic enables businesses to easily and effectively expand their business scale. This is particularly important as businesses grow and must enhance the system’s scalability.

Additionally, the platform provides high customization capabilities, allowing businesses to adjust to their specific business needs flexibly. This also means that the shopping experience can be customized to become unique and tailored to the target customers.

Reason 2: The Comprehensive B2B platform

In addition to offering built-in Magento B2B features, the platform allows businesses to seamlessly and quickly integrate with many third-party applications and systems, thereby creating a comprehensive and automated eCommerce system. Some integrated systems may include:

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
• Product Information Management (PIM) systems
• Point of Sale (POS) systems, and so on.

Reason 3: Order management

Magento B2B provides a variety of order management features, from creating and editing orders to tracking and processing orders efficiently. This helps B2B businesses easily monitor and manage their orders accurately and consistently.

Additionally, it offers tools and features that allow tracking and analysing their orders’ performance. From generating overview reports to tracking order history and purchasing trends, the eCommerce model deployed, you can better understand your activities and make informed strategic decisions.

Reason 4: Payment and shipping options

Implementing Magento B2B allows you to offer more payment methods to customers, from online payments through electronic payment gateways to cash on delivery (COD).

Additionally, you can integrate various payment gateways through Magento, such as PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, and many more. This ensures security and convenience in the payment process for both businesses and customers.

Reason 5: Segmentation

Magento B2B provides features and tools to implement customer segmentation strategies effectively. Among these, the most notable is the Advanced Reporting feature, which provides a dashboard for tracking and analyzing sales data.

With this feature, businesses can segment customers and customize experiences based on web browsing behavior, purchase history, and various other criteria.

Reason 6: Custom user roles and permissions

Customizing user roles and permissions is an important part of optimizing the B2B purchasing process. This feature allows B2B customers to create multiple accounts with different contact details for purchasing, ordering, quoting, negotiating, and payment. Additionally, Magento B2B allows sellers to create and assign admin accounts to manage specific customers.

Reason 7: Manage pricing through shared catalogs

In B2B Commerce, Magento helps manage quotations through shared catalogs, which effectively provides product information and prices to B2B partners and customers. These catalogs can be created based on criteria such as product type, product group, or other suitable business needs.

Within each shared catalog, administrators can define prices and special conditions for each product or product group. This helps create customized quotations that meet the specific requirements of each customer.

Reason 8: Advanced inventory management

Inventory management is a challenging task for businesses implementing B2B Commerce. The eCommerce platform provides advanced features to effectively manage and control your inventory levels. These features allow administrators to track inventory quantities and forecast future inventory needs.

Additionally, Magento B2B helps manage special types of inventory such as damaged goods, special inventory items, or batch inventory.

Reason 9: Enhanced security

Security is an important issue when building and developing online stores in general. Magento provides many advanced features to help B2B businesses to secure their eCommerce systems. Among these, PCI Compliance, 2FA, WAF, DDoS protection, and preventing CSRF and XSS attacks are notable.

Reason 10: Technical support

Technical support plays a crucial role in maintaining and operating an efficient online store. Magento B2B provides tools and support services to help users address technical issues and optimize the performance of their eCommerce websites.

This includes expert support via phone, email, or online. Additionally, Magento has a large and vibrant community of developers, experts, and end-users. You can search and ask questions on the forum to receive assistance from the community.

Build your first Magento B2B site today!

In the context of the increasingly developing and fiercely competitive eCommerce market, using a powerful eCommerce platform is extremely important to ensure the success. With its unique features and superior flexibility, Magento has proven to be a top choice for building and developing B2B stores.

Need more deep advice? Contact SECOMM or call (+84)28 7108 9908 now!

Upgrading to Shopify Plus is a strategic decision for growing ecommerce enterprises. Many merchants have encountered the challenges and opportunities this upgrade brings along their journey.

From optimizing business performance to expanding operations globally, upgrading to Shopify Plus isn’t just a technical step but also an opportunity to transform ecommerce activities into a springboard for market breakthroughs.

In this article, let’s explore the steps to upgrade to Shopify Plus and some critical considerations.

What is Shopify Plus?

This is the premium version of the Shopify platform, specially designed to meet the needs of large and rapidly growing ecommerce businesses. With Shopify Plus, you can experience many powerful features and services that help optimize operations, expand scale, and enhance customer experiences.

One notable aspect of Shopify Plus is its flexibility and ease of customization. You can leverage features such as multi-store management, integration with ERP and CRM systems, creating multilingual and multi-channel websites, as well as adjusting interfaces and features according to your specific needs.

In particular, Shopify Plus provides a secure and easily scalable infrastructure that is capable of handling large volumes of traffic and online transactions robustly. With Plus, you can ensure that your website operates smoothly and seamlessly, even during peak shopping seasons.

Why upgrade to the Shopify Plus plan?

Upgrading from the standard versions of the Shopify platform to the Plus version is a significant milestone in the transformation of ecommerce businesses. Below are eight benefits and also eight main reasons driving businesses to undergo the transition:

Enhanced customization & scalability

Shopify Plus offers a range of powerful features and tools to customize and expand ecommerce websites flexibly and efficiently. These include customizing checkout pages, personalizing customer experiences, and customizing product displays.

Additionally, you can utilize some exclusive solutions, such as LaunchPad, Shopify Scripts, and Shopify Functions, to customize shopping experiences and automate sales processes.

Increased bandwidth and staff accounts

High traffic volumes will require a large amount of bandwidth to maintain a stable website. Shopify Plus allows you to access unlimited bandwidth, 200TB of storage, and unlimited staff accounts to handle large transaction volumes efficiently.

Optimized transaction costs

Upgrading to Shopify Plus can help optimize transaction costs. If you use Shopify Payments, transaction fees are the lowest in all Shopify pricing plans but will be customized based on geographical regions. Conversely, Plus merchants must pay 0.2% per transaction for security and compliance costs.

Deploy Headless Commerce

In the Plus version, you’ll be provided with tools and solutions to build a Headless ecommerce website. Through the Hydrogen + Oxygen solution, you can leverage the power of Headless architecture to create more customized and flexible customer experiences.

Deploy B2B Commerce

Shopify Plus provides features and tools to expand your B2B operations. The recent Shopify Editions Winter ’24 update introduced new features to optimize B2B Commerce activities.

From Headless B2B and advanced order management to integrated payment systems and unique features for B2B customers, Shopify Plus helps you streamline your operations and enhance customer relationships.

Expand international sales

With Shopify Plus’s multilingual and multi-channel capabilities, you can efficiently expand your operations to international markets. Shopify Plus provides tools and features to customize websites according to each market’s needs, from handling currencies to managing orders and shipping.

Ultilize POS Pro

The Plus merchants can utilize the exclusive POS Pro system for free. With advanced features, POS Pro allows seamless integration of multi-channel sales operations into the website, enables unlimited staff account access, and provides professional retail reports. This helps enhance customers’ shopping experience and optimize your offline and online sales activities.

Advanced customer support

When upgrading, you can expect more in-depth customer support services, especially in terms of consultation and technical support by a team of experts. Through hotlines, emails, and live chat, you can access the 24/7 support team.

Additionally, to help clients better understand this platform, Shopify offers a free learning program called Shopify Plus Academy. There, you can access detailed tutorials on setting up stores, customizing store interfaces, and much more.

When to upgrade to the Shopify Plus plan?

You currently on one of Shopify’s standard pricing plans may consider upgrading to Shopify Plus under the following circumstances:

• Monthly revenue exceeds $800,000 with over 100 transactions per minute. In such cases, a more robust system is needed to handle high traffic volumes without compromising user experience, and to effectively manage and optimize business performance.

• Expanding sales to international markets requires flexibility in managing multilingual, multi-currency, and region-specific inventory.

• Desire to harness the advantages of Headless Commerce architecture to enhance user experience and achieve deeper customization of user interface and technical infrastructure.

What to prepare before upgrading to Shopify Plus?

Before deciding to upgrade to Shopify Plus, there are four important steps that businesses need to take to ensure a smooth and effective upgrade process:

Define business goals

Firstly, you have to clarify your needs and wants. This includes evaluating the current and future growth of the business, as well as the necessary features to meet specific needs.

Prepare the data and Infrastructure

Next, you’ll need to prepare data and technical infrastructure for the transition process. This may involve backing up current data, checking the compatibility of current applications and features, as well as ensuring that the technical infrastructure is robust enough to satisfy your requirements.

Define features and tools in need

Finally, you’ll identify the specific features and services you desire from Plus. This may include considering features such as multi-store management, integration with ERP and CRM systems, multi-language and multi-currency support, as well as special features like deploying Headless Commerce and accessing POS Pro systems.

Set up a Shopify Plus store

Setting up a Plus store will differ from deploying previous standard pricing plans. Plus usage fees start from $2,300 per month, and this price isn’t fixed but customized based on each case’s specific needs. Therefore, you’ll need to contact the Shopify Plus team for advice. When collaborating with a Shopify Plus agency, the developer will work with the platform to provide a specific pricing quote.

The six-step process to upgrade to Shopify Plus

Below are six specific steps for the entire process of upgrading your ecommerce website system from a lower version to Shopify Plus:

Step 1: Partner with a professional Shopify Plus agency

The first and most important step is collaborating with experienced teams specialising in Shopify Plus to optimize the upgrade process and post-operation, especially concerning costs.

To select a suitable Shopify Plus development partner, you should consider previous Shopify Plus projects they have completed, how they identify and solve problems in each project, and feedback from previous clients regarding those projects.

Step 2: Evaluate and plan

The next step is equally important as it determines the effectiveness of the conversion and future operations. You and your development partners need to clarify business goals, identify necessary features and data to be transferred, and develop a specific deployment schedule based on these goals.

You’ll also need to ensure data backup and updates are safely conducted to avoid data loss during the conversion process.

Step 3: Execute deployment

After assessment and planning, proceed with upgrading to Shopify Plus. The development partner will set up and configure new features, migrate data from the old platform to the new one, and test compatibility to ensure the website operates smoothly.

Step 4: Test and adjust

After deployment, test and adjust the Shopify Plus website to ensure all features and functions work correctly. The development partner’s QA/QC team will collaborate with you to check the quality of the website experience as actual end-users and correct any issues that arise.

Step 5: Golive

Once testing is complete, the new ecommerce website will be launched into the market, and promotional campaigns will be deployed to attract initial traffic and orders.

Step 6: Train staff

Finally, employees should be trained to use and manage the new website on the Shopify Plus platform. You’ll provide detailed instructions on new features and how to use them to optimize the performance. Additionally, since Plus has unlimited staff accounts, personnel allocation should be reasonable and planned accordingly.

The Final Words

While upgrading to Shopify Plus can be complex, it significantly benefits business growth. From high flexibility and customization to scalability and deep customer service, Shopify Plus is the perfect choice for expansion.

Various insights and a systematic 6-step deployment process make the upgrade process more manageable. However, to increase efficiency and maintain the stability of the new website, businesses need a professional development partner to accompany them.

Contact SECOMM or call us at (+84)28 7108 9908 to plan your deployment today!

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, eCommerce logistics, or eLogistics, plays a pivotal role in the seamless operation of online retail. It encompasses the intricate processes of managing and delivering goods from suppliers to customers efficiently and effectively. As businesses worldwide increasingly embrace digital platforms for sales, understanding the fundamentals of eCommerce logistics becomes indispensable for optimizing operations and staying competitive in the dynamic marketplace.

1. What is eCommerce Logistics?

eCommerce logistics, often referred to as eLogistics, is the specialized process of managing and fulfilling online orders from the point of sale to delivery to the customer’s doorstep. Unlike traditional logistics, which primarily focuses on moving goods through physical stores or distribution centers, eCommerce logistics is tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of the online retail environment. It encompasses a range of activities including order processing, inventory management, warehousing, packaging, and transportation logistics. The goal of eCommerce logistics is to ensure that products are delivered to customers swiftly, accurately, and cost-effectively, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and optimizing operational efficiency for online merchants.

2. Components of eCommerce Logistics (eLogistics)

The eLogistics process includes some critical components. They work together to ensure that eCommerce businesses can fulfill orders accurately, efficiently, and on time, thereby meeting customer expectations and enhancing overall operational performance.

Order Processing:

This involves receiving and confirming orders placed on the eCommerce platform. It includes order verification, payment processing, and order entry into the system.

Inventory Management:

Efficient inventory management is crucial to eCommerce logistics. It involves tracking stock levels, monitoring inventory movements, and ensuring accurate stock counts to prevent stockouts or overstock situations.

Warehousing:

eCommerce logistics often utilizes warehouses or fulfillment centers strategically located to facilitate quick order processing and shipping. Warehouses are organized to efficiently store and pick items for orders.

Packaging:

Packaging in eCommerce logistics involves selecting appropriate packaging materials, ensuring products are securely packed to prevent damage during transit, and sometimes includes branding for a positive customer experience.

Shipping and Transportation:

This component includes selecting the optimal shipping method (e.g., ground, air) based on factors like delivery speed and cost-efficiency. It also involves managing logistics partners or carriers for timely delivery.

Returns Management:

Handling returns is a critical aspect of eCommerce logistics. It includes processing returned items, assessing their condition, restocking inventory, and issuing refunds or exchanges as per the company’s policies.
Technology and Integration:

eCommerce logistics relies heavily on technology for automation and integration. This includes using inventory management systems, order management systems, and transportation management systems (TMS) to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

Customer Service:

While not always considered a logistics component, customer service plays a vital role in eCommerce logistics by managing inquiries related to orders, tracking shipments, and resolving any issues that may arise during the fulfillment process.

3. Types of eCommerce Logistics (eLogistics)

There are 4 common types of eLogistics. Each type of eCommerce logistics has its own advantages and challenges, and the choice depends on factors such as business size, product characteristics, target market, and strategic goals. Selecting the right logistics strategy is crucial for optimizing operational efficiency, enhancing customer satisfaction, and supporting business growth in the competitive eCommerce landscape.

3.1 Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a fulfillment method where the online retailer (the dropshipper) does not keep products in stock. Instead, when a customer places an order, the retailer forwards the order details and shipment instructions to a third-party supplier or manufacturer. The supplier then ships the product directly to the customer.

Dropshipping is advantageous because it eliminates the need for inventory storage and management, reducing upfront costs and risks for the retailer. However, it also means the retailer has less control over fulfillment and may face challenges in maintaining consistent product availability and quality.

3.2 Third-Party Logistics (3PL)

3PL providers offer outsourced logistics and supply chain management services to eCommerce businesses. These providers specialize in warehousing, order fulfillment, inventory management, shipping, and often additional services like reverse logistics (handling returns).

eCommerce businesses can benefit from partnering with a 3PL provider by leveraging their expertise, infrastructure, and established carrier relationships. This can lead to cost savings, improved efficiency in order fulfillment, and scalability as 3PL providers can handle fluctuations in order volume and seasonal peaks. However, businesses must carefully select a 3PL partner that aligns with their specific needs and standards for service quality.

3.3 In-House Fulfillment

In-house fulfillment involves eCommerce businesses managing their own logistics operations internally. This includes setting up and managing warehouses or fulfillment centers, hiring staff for picking, packing, and shipping orders, and overseeing the entire fulfillment process.

In-house fulfillment gives businesses greater control over the entire logistics chain, allowing for customization of processes and direct management of customer interactions. However, it requires significant upfront investment in infrastructure, technology, and manpower, as well as ongoing operational costs. Businesses opting for in-house fulfillment must also ensure they have the capability to handle fluctuations in demand and maintain service levels during peak periods.

3.4 Hybrid Model

Some businesses opt for hybrid logistics models that combine elements of dropshipping, 3PL services, and in-house fulfillment. For example, a business may use dropshipping for certain products or suppliers while managing warehousing and fulfillment for core or high-demand items.

Hybrid models offer flexibility and the ability to tailor logistics strategies to specific product lines or market conditions. However, managing multiple logistics models requires careful coordination and integration to ensure seamless operations and consistent customer experience.

4. Benefits of implementing eCommerce Logistics

Implementing eLogistics brings your business many benefits. By leveraging these benefits, you optimize the logistics operations to support growth, improve customer experiences, and maintain a competitive position in the online retail market.

Cost Efficiency:

By optimizing processes such as warehousing, inventory management, and shipping, eCommerce logistics helps reduce operational costs. This includes minimizing storage expenses, improving inventory turnover, and leveraging bulk shipping discounts.

Faster Delivery Times:

Efficient eCommerce logistics enable quicker fulfillment and shipping of orders. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also meets the expectations for fast delivery set by major eCommerce platforms.

Improved Customer Satisfaction:

Timely and accurate order fulfillment contributes to higher customer satisfaction. eCommerce logistics ensure that orders are processed promptly, shipments are tracked effectively, and customers receive their purchases in good condition.

Operational Transparency:

Modern eCommerce logistics systems often include real-time tracking and reporting capabilities. This transparency allows businesses to monitor inventory levels, track shipments, and analyze performance metrics to optimize operations continually.

Integration with Technology:

eCommerce logistics systems integrate with advanced technologies such as automation, AI-driven analytics, and cloud-based platforms. These technologies streamline processes, reduce errors, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

Enhanced Flexibility:

eCommerce logistics provide flexibility in adapting to changing market demands and seasonal fluctuations. Businesses can adjust inventory levels, shipping methods, and distribution strategies dynamically to meet customer needs and market conditions.

5. Drawbacks of implementing eCommerce Logistics

Beyond the benefits that eCommerce logistics system can offer, there are some drawbacks to consider before applying logistics to eCommerce

Initial Setup Costs:

Setting up an effective eCommerce logistics system requires significant initial investment in infrastructure, technology, and personnel. This includes costs for warehouses or fulfillment centers, inventory management systems, transportation logistics, and training staff.

Complexity and Integration Challenges:

Integrating various components of eCommerce logistics, such as inventory management, order processing, and shipping systems, can be complex. Ensuring seamless integration often requires technical expertise and may involve compatibility issues with existing systems.

Dependency on Third-Party Providers:

Many eCommerce businesses rely on third-party logistics (3PL) providers for warehousing, fulfillment, and shipping. While this outsourcing can reduce operational burdens, it also introduces dependencies on external partners. Issues like service disruptions, communication gaps, and quality control concerns can arise, affecting overall service reliability.

Logistical Errors and Delays:

Despite technological advancements, logistical errors such as inventory discrepancies, shipping delays, and order inaccuracies can occur. These errors may lead to customer dissatisfaction, increased costs for returns and replacements, and potential damage to brand reputation.

Risk of Data Breaches:

eCommerce logistics involves handling sensitive customer data, including payment information and personal details. Protecting this data from cyber threats and data breaches is crucial but requires robust cybersecurity measures and compliance with data protection regulations.

Environmental Impact: The logistics and transportation involved in eCommerce can have a significant environmental impact, including carbon emissions from shipping vehicles and packaging waste. Implementing sustainable practices, such as optimizing delivery routes and using eco-friendly packaging, can mitigate these effects but may add to operational costs.

6. Tips for success eLogistics implementation

Understand Your Requirements:

Begin by assessing your business needs, including order volume, product characteristics, target market locations, and seasonal demand fluctuations. This understanding will guide your logistics strategy and help you choose the most suitable fulfillment model.

Choose the Right Logistics Partners:

Select reliable logistics partners or 3PL providers based on their expertise, track record, scalability, and ability to meet your specific requirements. Conduct thorough due diligence and consider visiting their facilities to ensure they align with your standards.

Invest in Technology:

Implement robust eCommerce and logistics management software that integrates order processing, inventory management, and shipping operations. Automation tools can streamline processes, reduce errors, and improve efficiency in fulfillment and customer service.

Automate Repetitive Tasks:
Implement automation for repetitive tasks such as order processing, inventory updates, and shipment tracking. Use robotic process automation (RPA) or software integrations to streamline workflows and reduce manual errors. Automation not only improves efficiency but also frees up resources to focus on strategic initiatives and customer-centric activities. Regularly review processes to identify opportunities for further automation and integration with your eCommerce platform and logistics systems.

7. Leading eLogistics company in the world

In the rapidly expanding world of eCommerce logistics, several key players stand out for their comprehensive services and innovative approaches. Companies like Amazon Logistics, FedEx Supply Chain, and UPS have reshaped the landscape with their extensive networks and advanced technologies.

Amazon Logistics

Known for its robust fulfillment network, Amazon Logistics leverages cutting-edge technology to offer fast and reliable shipping services to customers worldwide. Amazon’s fulfillment centers are strategically located, facilitating quick delivery times and efficient order processing. Their integration with Amazon Prime ensures premium shipping options and customer loyalty benefits, setting them apart in the eCommerce logistics sphere.

FedEx Supply Chain

FedEx Supply Chain specializes in providing end-to-end supply chain solutions tailored to eCommerce businesses. They offer warehousing, fulfillment, transportation, and reverse logistics services, supported by advanced analytics and technology-driven solutions. FedEx’s global network and commitment to innovation make them a preferred partner for businesses seeking scalable logistics solutions.

UPS

UPS is renowned for its extensive transportation and logistics capabilities, including parcel delivery, freight forwarding, and supply chain management services. UPS offers customizable logistics solutions designed to optimize efficiency and meet specific business needs. Their focus on sustainability and technological innovation, such as UPS My Choice and advanced tracking systems, enhances transparency and reliability in eCommerce logistics.

Final Words

eCommerce Logistics contributes to the success of online businesses by ensuring efficient order fulfillment, timely delivery, and enhanced customer satisfaction. From managing inventory and processing orders to optimizing shipping routes and leveraging technology, every aspect of eLogistics contributes to operational excellence in the digital marketplace.

A key takeaway from this article is the critical importance of selecting the right logistics partner. By partnering with a logistics provider that aligns with your specific business needs, you can streamline operations, mitigate logistical challenges, and position your eCommerce venture for sustained success.

SECOMM team has extensive experience of eCommerce in many APAC markets like Vietnam, Australia, NewZealand, HongKong and Singapore. We can help you apply logistics to eCommerce, optimize your customer shopping experience, streamline checkout, and more to make your eCommerce empire shine!

Contact us today for free consultation!

The cosmetics eCommerce industry in Singapore is witnessing explosive growth and continuous innovation, becoming one of the most promising and dynamic markets in the Southeast Asia region. With the increasing demand for beauty and personal care products from consumers, coupled with support from advanced technology and digital infrastructure, online cosmetics businesses in Singapore have been seizing opportunities to expand market share and enhance customer experiences.

Below are cosmetics 8 eCommerce websites trusted by Singaporean consumers for shopping.

1. Watsons Singapore

The cosmetics and healthcare retail chain Watsons has gained fame across Asia, and Singapore is no exception. As a member of the A.S. Watson Group, Watsons has solidified its position with thousands of stores worldwide and a robust eCommerce website.

Watsons Singapore is renowned for its extensive product portfolio, ranging from cosmetics and skincare to haircare and healthcare products. The eCommerce website of Watsons Singapore is built on the SAP Commerce Cloud platform, providing customers with a smooth and diverse shopping experience. Search, product filtering, and cart features are optimized and customized, while encouraging customers to create accounts to enjoy exclusive benefits. This helps track and measure customer behavior on the website, leading to the most effective sales and marketing strategies.

• Website: watsons.com.sg
• Platform: SAP Commerce Cloud
• Traffic: 1.852M/month
• Ranking: #322 (Singapore) & #69,750 (Global)

2. Guardian Singapore

Guardian is a retail chain specializing in healthcare, cosmetics, and other consumer products. Guardian has a presence in many countries and regions worldwide, including Singapore, offering a range of products from renowned and reliable brands.

The eCommerce website of Guardian is built on the SAP Commerce Cloud platform, providing many useful features for users. Customers can easily search for and purchase products, manage their shopping carts, and make convenient payments. Additionally, the website offers promotions and online support services to help customers have a comfortable and secure online shopping experience. Furthermore, customers can also review and provide feedback on products, providing useful information for other users.

• Website: https://guardian.com.sg/
• Platform: SAP Commerce Cloud
• Traffic: 1.349M/month
• Ranking: #676 (Singapore) & #126,366 (Global)

3. Sephora Singapore

Similar to Guardian, Sephora is a global retail chain specializing in cosmetics and beauty, known for offering a variety of beauty products from leading brands worldwide. Currently, Sephora has a presence in the Singapore market with physical stores in major shopping centers and an eCommerce system, including a website and app for customers. Sephora is loved for its product diversity, customer care services, and innovation in the online cosmetics shopping experience.

Sephora’s eCommerce system in Singapore is built on Vue.js and Nuxt.js programming languages. With this system, Sephora’s customers can quickly search for and explore products through smart search bars and diverse filters. The online shopping experience is optimized with detailed product information, crisp images, and customer reviews.

The Sephora app is also highly regarded, making shopping easier for customers with features like “Virtual Artist” and receiving notifications about promotions. Overall, Sephora provides a range of features and services to meet customers’ cosmetics shopping needs, creating a professional and convenient online shopping experience.

• Website: https://www.sephora.sg/
• Programming language: Vue.js, Nuxt.js
• Traffic: 1.287M/month
• Ranking: #605 (Singapore) & #93,279 (Global)

4. Venus Beauty

Venus Beauty is one of the retail chains for cosmetics and personal care present in most shopping centers across Singapore, beloved for its product diversity and quality. Since its establishment in 2002, Venus Beauty has continuously grown and expanded, becoming a familiar destination for many local consumers.

The eCommerce website of Venus Beauty is built and developed on the Magento platform, with superior customization and scalability. Customers can easily search for and purchase products thanks to the intuitive and user-friendly website interface. Venus Beauty also regularly offers attractive promotional programs to attract customers to shop more on the website and app.

• Website: venusbeauty.com.sg
• Platform: Magento Open Source
• Traffic: 325,090/month
• Ranking: #2,211 (Singapore) & #321,368 (Global)

5. LanCôme Singapore

Lancôme Singapore is the branch of the renowned cosmetics brand Lancôme, part of the globally famous L’Oréal Group. Lancôme is known for its high-quality skincare products, makeup, and fragrances, always endorsed by beauty experts and celebrities. In Singapore, Lancôme not only offers premium products suitable for various skin types but also provides optimal online shopping experiences for customers.

The Lancôme website is developed on the Salesforce Commerce Cloud infrastructure with a user-friendly interface, allowing customers to browse, search, view products, and make purchases easily and quickly. The website also integrates AR technology to provide a “Virtual Try-On” experience, allowing customers to try on lipsticks, eyeshadows, and other products realistically before making purchasing decisions.

• Website: lancome.com.sg
• Platform: Salesforce Commerce Cloud
• Traffic: 170,443/month
• Ranking: #7,671 (Singapore) & #1,007,547 (Global)

6. Cocomo Singapore

Cocomo is an eCommerce website specializing in beauty and personal care products from Korean brands. Cocomo boasts a rich product portfolio, including cosmetics, skincare products, haircare, and various other beauty items, catering to all customer beauty needs.

The Shopify website of Cocomo Singapore is designed with a clear, intuitive interface, making it easy for users to search for and select products. Product categories are organized logically, along with efficient search tools, making shopping quick and convenient. Cocomo frequently offers promotions, discounts, and special deals, helping customers save money. These promotional offers are regularly updated and can be easily found on the homepage or product category pages.

• Website: https://www.cocomo.sg/
• Platform: Shopify
• Traffic: 138,532/month
• Ranking: #13,831 (Singapore) & #1,356,641 (Global)

7. Paula’s Choice

In Singapore, the skincare brand Paula’s Choice is just as renowned as in other markets. Founded by skincare expert Paula Begoun, the brand is famous for its science-backed skincare products, known to be safe and effective, free from harmful ingredients like fragrances or dyes.

Paula’s Choice eCommerce website is built on Shopify Plus. The website offers a range of skincare products, including cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, sunscreens, and specialized treatments like BHA, AHA, and retinol. These products cater to all skin types, from oily, dry, sensitive, acne-prone to aging skin. Each product on the website comes with detailed descriptions of ingredients, usage instructions, benefits, and supporting scientific research.

Paula’s Choice Singapore regularly runs discount programs, bundled gifts, and special offers for customers. Additionally, customers can easily access support from the customer service team via hotline, email, or live chat.

• Website: https://paulaschoice.sg/
• Platform: Shopify Plus
• Traffic: 132,171/month
• Ranking: #7,064 (Singapore) & #839,402 (Global)

8. Hush Singapore

Hush is a familiar destination for Singaporean consumers when they need to shop for cosmetics online. This retail giant specializes in providing beauty and personal care products from various leading brands worldwide such as Laneige, Aveeno, Bioderma, CeraVe, and more.

The Hush website is designed to be simple, modern, and user-friendly. Customers can easily search and browse through products thanks to clear categories and efficient search tools. Additionally, customers can make payments by registering an account or as a guest. Hush also offers fast and free delivery services, allowing customers to track their orders and estimated delivery times.

• Website: https://hush.sg/
• Programming language: Ruby
• Traffic: 77,937/month
• Ranking: #10,733 (Singapore) & #1,548,638 (Global)

Lời kết

In summary, the cosmetics eCommerce industry in Singapore has seen significant growth over the years with the presence of many reputable and well-known names. From international brands like Watsons, Lancôme, and Paula’s Choice to local eCommerce platforms like Cocomo and Hush, consumers have countless options to search for and purchase high-quality beauty and personal care products. Each website offers unique and convenient shopping experiences, catering to the increasingly diverse needs of customers.

Hopefully, the list above will help motivate many other beauty businesses to confidently build their own eCommerce websites.

Need more in-depth advice? Contact SECOMM today!

The wine eCommerce industry in Singapore is thriving, offering a wide variety of choices for consumers who appreciate fine wines and spirits from around the world. With the convenience and diversity of eCommerce websites, purchasing wine online has become easier than ever.

The following article introduces 8 leading wine eCommerce websites in Singapore, known as popular shopping destinations for modern consumers.

1. Paneco

Paneco is one of the most beloved wine eCommerce sites in Singapore, renowned for its product quality, delivery service, and customer care. Established with the aim of providing a convenient and reliable online shopping experience, Paneco offers a rich catalog ranging from wines and spirits to specialty beers and sake.

Focusing on customer experience, Paneco chose the Spree Open Source platform to build its eCommerce website, allowing for customization and scalability. Features such as inventory display, product variations, combo purchases, and bulk buying have been optimized for customization. Paneco also implemented a loyalty program, enabling customers to register as members, earn points from purchases, and enjoy exclusive prices.

• Website: https://www.paneco.com.sg/
• Platform: Spree Open Source
• Traffic: 183,355/month
• Ranking: #6,049 (Singapore) & #508,951 (Global)

2. Cellarbration

Cellarbration is an ideal destination in Singapore for wine and alcohol enthusiasts. This brand boasts an extensive collection of wines and alcoholic beverages from a wide variety of leading global brands.

Shopping on Cellarbration’s eCommerce website is highly optimized through the power of the Magento platform. Every aspect, from search functions and product browsing to checkout, is deeply customized to ensure an engaging shopping experience for customers.

Cellarbration is distinguished not only by its wide range of products but also by its professional and dedicated customer service. The brand is committed to customer satisfaction by offering personalized support and a variety of payment and delivery options.

• Website: https://cellarbration.com.sg/
• Platform: Magento Open Source
• Traffic: 147,008/month
• Ranking: #6,676 (Singapore) & #1,075,981 (Global)

3. The Liquor Shop

The Liquor Shop is one of the prominent brands in the wine ommerce sector in Singapore, known for its richness and variety of high-quality imported liquors. With a mission to bring customers the finest liquor products from around the world, The Liquor Shop offers a range of options, from wines, whiskies, rums, and tequilas to unique beers and sojus.

This retailer’s liquor website is built on the infrastructure of Shopify Plus, allowing for easy customization of many features such as age verification, quick purchase, product search suggestions, and upselling prompts. Additionally, Shopify Plus’ flexible system enables integration with a range of popular payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Visa/MasterCard.

• Website: https://www.theliquorshop.com.sg/
• Platform: Shopify Plus
• Traffic: 90,704/month
• Ranking: #41,516 (Singapore) & #888,587 (Global)

4. Wine Connection

In Singapore, the Wine Connection brand is a favorite destination for wine enthusiasts looking to explore premium wines from the most famous wine regions worldwide. Wine Connection also offers customers a rich and diverse collection of wines.

Wine Connection’s Magento website is optimized for an enhanced experience, allowing customers to search for wines by origin, grape variety, and explore special collections, as well as choose preferred payment and delivery methods.

Not only does Wine Connection provide a modern and engaging online shopping space, but it also serves as a source of wine knowledge. Customers can find articles and detailed guides on selecting and enjoying wines to better understand the art and science behind the exquisite flavors.

• Website: https://wineconnection.com.sg/
• Platform: Magento Open Source
• Traffic: 82,788/month
• Ranking: #12,447 (Singapore) & #1,701,444 (Global)

5. Millesima

Founded in 1983, Millesima is a reputable brand in the global retail wine industry, particularly renowned for its specialization in premium wines. Originating from France, Millesima has expanded its operations to many countries, including Singapore, to provide consumers with the opportunity to experience high-quality wines from renowned vineyards worldwide.

Millesima’s strength lies in its meticulous selection of wine products, ensuring high quality and clear origins. The product portfolio of Millesima includes wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and many other famous wine-producing regions. Customers can find classic wines, limited editions, and even internationally award-winning bottles.

Millesima’s eCommerce wine website is elegantly designed and user-friendly, making it easy for buyers to search for detailed information about products and place orders online. Additionally, Millesima offers professional advisory services to help customers select wines that suit their preferences and needs.

• Website: https://www.millesima.sg/
• Framework: Next.js
• Programming language: Node.js
• Traffic: 72,445/month
• Ranking: #28,409 (Singapore) & #2,950,063 (Global)

6. Wine Fridge Singapore

Wine Fridge Singapore is a prominent brand in providing wine cabinets and related products for wine storage in Singapore. Known for professionalism and high quality, Wine Fridge Singapore specializes in offering wine cabinets from renowned brands, ensuring the ideal conditions for wine storage.

The strength of Wine Fridge Singapore lies not only in providing quality products but also in professional customer advisory and support services. They understand the needs of wine enthusiasts and collectors, providing suitable storage solutions to maintain the flavor and quality of wine over time.

The website of Wine Fridge Singapore provides detailed information about various wine cabinets, from small-capacity cabinets for personal needs to large cabinets for extensive wine collections. Some customized features include product comparisons, selecting products by size and color, quick payments with Shop Pay or Google Pay, etc.

• Website: winefridge.sg
• Platform: Shopify
• Traffic: 69,460/month
• Ranking: #14,757 (Singapore) & #1,874,271 (Global)

7. Wines Wholesales

The Wine Wholesales brand is known as a destination for purchasing high-quality wines, wine cabinets, and related accessories at attractive wholesale prices. This brand has built its reputation through product diversity and quality services, aiming to provide customers with smooth and convenient online wine shopping experiences.

The eCommerce website of Wine Wholesales is user-friendly, making it easy to search for and select products. Customers can easily find detailed information about each wine, including origin, flavor profile, and reviews from previous buyers. Additionally, Wine Wholesales regularly offers promotions and discounts, allowing consumers to purchase quality products at affordable prices.

• Website: wineswholesales.com.sg
• Platform: Shopify
• Traffic: 58,550/month
• Ranking: #16,845 (Singapore) & #1,961,760 (Global)

8. Wines Online Singapore

This is a prominent name in the retail wine sector in Singapore, specializing in providing premium wines from around the world. Wines Online’s strength lies in its product diversity, ranging from wines and spirits to soju and sake, especially low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beverages.

Wines Online’s eCommerce website is built on Shopify, featuring an intuitive interface that allows customers to easily search for and select products. Wines Online Singapore is also known for its fast and reliable delivery service. They ensure that products are delivered to customers safely and on time. Additionally, Wines Online’s advisory team is always available to assist customers with any inquiries or requests, ensuring that every customer has the best shopping experience.

• Website: https://winesonline.com.sg/
• Platform: Shopify
• Traffic: 57,628/month
• Ranking: #31,363 (Singapore) & #1,429,220 (Global)

Wrap Up!

Here are the 8 most prominent eCommerce wine websites in Singapore. Each brand brings its own unique advantages, from product diversity and service quality to convenient shopping experiences.

Looking for advice on building an eCommerce wine website? Contact SECOMM now!

Welcome to the final installment of our three-part series on brands that have successfully embraced international expansion with Shopify Plus. In the previous parts, we explored the journeys of ten dynamic brands that leveraged Shopify Plus to navigate the complexities of global growth. In this concluding chapter, we turn our attention to five more outstanding brands: Ellana Cosmetics, Dollar Shave Club, Daniel Wellington, BONIA, and AIMER.

Dollar Shave Club

Dollar Shave Club (DSC) is a renowned American company that revolutionized the personal care industry with its subscription model for razors and personal care products.

Initially, DSC built its own custom eCommerce platform, which provided flexibility and high customization. While this allowed DSC to shape its business model in the digital landscape, managing and maintaining it became complex and resource-intensive over time. As technological solutions like Shopify emerged, offering features and tools that DSC could leverage, the company explored available solutions to integrate them into its existing system. After careful consideration, DSC transitioned to Shopify Plus to better support its profit growth and international expansion goals.

Through Shopify Plus, DSC operates and manages its subscription business model more effectively, integrating multiple applications within the Shopify ecosystem to optimize marketing campaigns and customer care. As a result, DSC reduced system maintenance resources by 40%, reached over 100 million global consumers through ShopApp, swiftly converted international stores to Shopify Plus within weeks instead of months, and increased conversion rates using Shopify’s applications.

Website: dollarshaveclub.com

Industry: Men Health

Traffic: 3.148M/month

Rank: #9,907 (USA) & #50,278 (Global)

Daniel Wellington

Launched in Sweden in 2011, Daniel Wellington is known for its elegant, minimalist watch designs and superior quality. Before Daniel Wellington adopted Shopify, they faced significant operational challenges, particularly the complexity and cost of their current technology systems, which included an e-commerce platform lacking user interface from CommerceTools and Contentful as their chosen CMS platform. The development and rollout of new features were time-consuming and cumbersome, consuming substantial resources. Additionally, Daniel Wellington used an on-premise ERP system, which increased costs and complexity. With multiple stores and integrated systems, product changes took months or even years to implement, resulting in delayed time-to-market.

Since transitioning to Shopify Plus, all these issues have been thoroughly addressed. Website features that previously took months or even years to develop and launch now take only days or weeks. This practical approach allows for quicker decision-making and agile response based on market dynamics. Other notable outcomes include the rapid launch of 12 expansion stores, a 50% reduction in platform fees, and fewer resource expenditures on maintenance and development compared to before.

Website: https://global.danielwellington.com/

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 2.773M/month

Rank: #78,900 (USA) & #63,785 (Global)

BONIA

Established in 1974, BONIA has gradually become a prestigious and irreplaceable fashion brand in Southeast Asia. After making the strategic decision to transition from Adobe Commerce to Shopify due to previous challenges with product launch speed and website responsiveness, BONIA aimed to leverage its online presence for international expansion. Recognizing the need to provide personalized experiences for customers while maintaining a consistent brand identity across different markets, BONIA also sought to ensure that managing multiple websites wouldn’t burden its team with excessive time and costs.

Therefore, BONIA upgraded to Shopify Plus. This strategic move enabled BONIA to harness the expansive capabilities of Shopify Plus storefronts, allowing them to establish multiple online storefronts alongside their flagship Malaysian website. Leveraging this capability, BONIA seamlessly integrated themes and layouts from its Malaysian store while ensuring each new store exudes its own distinct charm and is localized to specific locations. This localization was achieved through customized adjustments tailored to each specific region. Shopify Plus’s organizational admin also played a crucial role, providing BONIA with a centralized command center for all its stores.

As a result, BONIA increased its overall revenue by 10% through expansion into Singapore and saw a 25% annual increase in website traffic.

Website: https://bonia.com/

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 108,842/month

Rank: #27,473 (Malaysia) & #1,510,285 (Global)

Ellana Cosmetics

In 2007, Ellana Cosmetics was founded with the goal of helping global consumers achieve better skin and improve their skincare knowledge. Recognizing the opportunity to reach more customers online, the brand initially started with a basic HTML website, then moved to Adobe Commerce and later WooCommerce. However, Ellana Cosmetics was dissatisfied with the results these platforms provided. The lack of robust data management tools made it difficult to personalize customer experiences across different markets, resulting in significant online sales losses.

Ellana Cosmetics switched to Shopify when their e-commerce marketing efforts were still in their infancy in the Philippines. This allowed Ellana to strengthen its technological foundation and accelerate growth and efficiency by upgrading to Shopify Plus shortly thereafter. The company leveraged various solutions to optimize managing multiple expanded storefronts, including Shopify Flow. As a result, the average order value increased by 17%, payment failure rates decreased by 40%, and online revenue increased by 50%.

Website: https://www.ellanacosmetics.com/

Industry: Cosmetics

Traffic: 88,075/month

Rank: #61,563 (Philippines) & #2,754,014 (Global)

AIMER

Founded in 1993, AIMER is one of the leading lingerie brands in China. With over 20 years of experience in designing and creating premium and luxurious lingerie, AIMER takes pride in its continuously evolving creative design team, which has developed more than 400 new products under its five main brands: AIMER, imi’s, LA CLOVER, AIMER Men, and Aimer Kids. Supported by these innovative products, AIMER has established an international presence far beyond its homeland, including regions such as North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

International sales are a crucial part of AIMER’s development strategy. However, the brand faced challenges regarding customization, taxation, and compliance with tax rules. AIMER migrated its platform to Shopify Plus, leveraging its customization capabilities to meet the needs of customers in international markets.

Additionally, utilizing Shopify Plus’s Avalara tax automation feature helped AIMER automatically calculate taxes based on the customer’s international address. Instead of manually calculating taxes, Shopify Plus accurately computed taxes for each order based on the latest tax regulations of the target market and automatically added taxes to the final checkout page, ensuring transparency in tax costs for consumers.

As a result, AIMER saw a 105% increase in monthly site visits, a 57% increase in monthly conversion rates, and a 62% increase in monthly page views.

Website: https://aimeronline.com/

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 32,449/month

Rank: #51,992 (Hong Kong) & #1,948,207 (Global)

Final Words

In this final part of our series, we’ve delved into the inspiring journeys of Ellana Cosmetics, Dollar Shave Club, Daniel Wellington, BONIA, and AIMER. These brands exemplify how leveraging Shopify Plus can transform the challenges of international expansion into opportunities for growth and success.

As we conclude our series, it is evident that the journey to international expansion is complex but highly rewarding with the right tools and strategies. For brands looking to embark on this path, the experiences of 15 success stories will provide valuable insights and inspiration.

Need a deep consultation? Contact SECOMM for free!

In Part 2 of our series, we delve into the journeys of Oh My Cream, Koh, LSKD, Glamlite, and GIVA. Each of these brands brings unique offerings to the global market, from skincare and household products to activewear and gourmet cosmetics. We explore how these companies have navigated the complexities of international expansion, overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities with the support of Shopify Plus.

GIVA

GIVA is India’s leading brand for providing luxurious and elegant gold and silver jewelry at affordable prices. Since its launch in 2019, the brand has been loved by both domestic and international customers. Consequently, within just four years, the company achieved remarkable growth, leading to the need for a more robust eCommerce system.

Initially, GIVA’s D2C system operated on Shopify, but to handle the large and increasing volume of transactions, the company upgraded to Shopify Plus. Through Shopify Plus, GIVA quickly launched additional stores in the USA and Sri Lanka, and also set up an expansion store for its sub-brand, AVNI.

GIVA leveraged the exclusive Shopify Plus feature, organizational admin setting, to seamlessly and efficiently perform actions across multiple stores, rather than managing each store individually. As a result, GIVA experienced a 100% year-over-year revenue increase compared to 2021, a 193% increase in its global customer base from April 2021 to April 2022, and reached customers in three different geographical regions.

Website: https://www.giva.co/

Industry: Jewelry

Traffic: 7.160M/month

Rank: #1,523 (India) & #21,585 (Global)

LSKD

Founded in 2007, LSKD (short for ‘Loose Kid’) is an Australian-based apparel brand specializing in high-quality athletic wear with a street style and a focus on fitness functionality. Although LSKD began as a wholesaler, it has since reinvented itself as a vibrant consumer-oriented brand with online retail at the core of its operations. The company has also made a name for itself in physical retail, opening several stores both domestically and internationally.

As LSKD planned its international expansion into the United States, the brand aimed to ensure a highly personalized customer experience. Despite having a system capable of serving shoppers in multiple countries, LSKD needed a more flexible and easily manageable system. Consequently, LSKD transitioned to Shopify Plus and used the expansion store feature to quickly and easily create a new store targeting the US market. Using the online store in the US as a springboard, LSKD opened a physical store in San Diego and pop-up shops at sports events nationwide. All these operations were smoothly run on Shopify POS.

Website: https://www.lskd.co/

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 2.112M/month

Rank: #1,182 (Australia) & #70,075 (Global)

Oh My Cream

Oh My Cream is a French cosmetics brand founded in 2012, with an omnichannel strategy as its core focus. Oh My Cream currently operates both physical stores and an eCommerce website. As of now, the company has expanded internationally with over 20 retail stores, including two in London, and a bilingual website.

To customize and optimize the omnichannel experience, Oh My Cream implemented Shopify Plus. The unique and superior omnichannel features of Shopify Plus met Oh My Cream’s expectations. Additionally, Oh My Cream transitioned its outdated payment system to Shopify POS to collect more comprehensive customer data. After optimizing the omnichannel experience with Shopify Plus, Oh My Cream increased the average customer lifetime value by 50%, the average basket value by 25%, and enhanced data collection to implement a loyalty program.

Website: https://www.ohmycream.com/

Industry: Cosmetics

Traffic: 602,976/month

Rank: #7,537 (France) & #180,940 (Global)

Glamlite

Glamlite, a cosmetics brand founded in 2018 in Los Angeles, is renowned for its colorful lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes. Glamlite launched its e-commerce website using Shopify Plus from the beginning and initially sold products internationally. However, their growth rate was not promising due to high USPS shipping costs, long delivery times, and the inability to track international packages.

The lack of international tracking by USPS left Glamlite and their customers unaware of the whereabouts of shipments, with some customers never receiving their orders. Unsurprisingly, Glamlite’s customer retention rate and international sales were significantly lower than expected. However, after implementing Shopify Market Pro, Glamlite overcame these issues, resulting in:

• 2.25 times growth in international sales
• A 24% increase in the average order value of international sales
• A 65% increase in conversion rates in the UK market
• A 77% increase in conversion rates in the German market

Website: https://glamlite.com/

Industry: Cosmetics

Traffic: 376,734/month

Rank: #56,604 (USA) & #316,746 (Global)

Koh

Koh is a brand specializing in producing and supplying chemical-free, eco-friendly cleaning products. Two years after its establishment, Koh achieved $50 million in revenue. The eCommerce website was converting well but started to look outdated. The product line was also expanding, creating opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and promotions that were not being fully utilized. Global expansion was also on the agenda, and Koh’s founder, Alexander, wanted a solution that would allow Koh to grow without limitations.

After operating on Shopify for some time, Koh decided to upgrade to Shopify Plus. The expansion store feature of Shopify Plus enabled Koh to scale seamlessly into new regions with custom payment tools to improve conversion rates. For example, Koh could customize the checkout process using third-party apps like Rebuy for comprehensive personalization, upselling, and cross-selling with A/B testing, and Klaviyo for better product recommendations. Finally, the Launchpad scheduling tool allowed the team at Koh to quickly set up and schedule promotional and sales events.

Website: https://koh.com/

Industry: Home and Garden

Traffic: 371,270/month

Rank: #5,902 (Australia) & #310,539 (Global)

Final Words

The stories of Oh My Cream, Koh, LSKD, Glamlite, and GIVA showcased in Part 2 of our series exemplify the dynamic possibilities that emerge when innovative brands embrace Shopify Plus for international growth. From pioneering new markets to enhancing customer experiences through tailored eCommerce solutions, these brands have demonstrated resilience, creativity, and strategic foresight in their expansion efforts.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our series, where we’ll uncover more success stories and strategies as brands continue to thrive with Shopify Plus on their path to global expansion.

In today’s digital age, eCommerce automation not only helps businesses optimize their sales processes but also creates a seamless shopping experience for customers. Shopify Plus has become one of the most popular SaaS eCommerce platforms, helping both large and small brands automate and enhance their business efficiency. Below is a list of leading brands that have successfully automated their eCommerce with Shopify Plus.

1. Good American

Good American, the renowned fashion brand co-founded by Khloé Kardashian, achieved $1 million in sales on the first day of operating its sales system on the Shopify Plus platform. Building on this success, the brand established multiple automated processes to eliminate manual tasks, allowing its team to focus on providing customers with a rich shopping experience and excellent support services.

Good American utilized Shopify Flow to automatically tag products as “Out of Stock” on their website for items that are sold out and “Low Stock” for items that have reached a certain inventory threshold. This not only improved inventory management but also encouraged customers to purchase items that were running low. Additionally, for out-of-stock products, customers could sign up to be notified when the items were back in stock, helping Good American reclaim potential lost sales.

With Shopify Flow, Good American was able to create nine automated processes in less than a day, significantly contributing to the overall efficiency of their eCommerce operations.

Website: https://www.goodamerican.com/en-vn/

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 2.9M/month

Rank: #9,462 (USA) & #48,565 (Global)

2. Boody

Boody is an Australian brand specializing in eco-friendly clothing, founded in 2012. After operating on the complex Magento platform for several years, the brand decided to switch to Shopify Plus for its specialized solutions and user-friendly interface. This transition allowed Boody to easily customize and provide their customers with a more engaging and seamless online shopping experience while expanding into international markets.

After switching platforms, Boody leveraged Shopify Flow to automate several key eCommerce processes, including order processing, email marketing, payments, and inventory management. This automation enabled Boody’s team to focus more on business strategies and market expansion. As a result, Boody has expanded to 10 different international stores and increased its online revenue share from 0% to 70%.

Website: https://www.boody.com.au/

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 1.1M/month

Rank: #1,420 (Australia) & #85,881 (Global)

3. Paperlike

Paperlike is known for producing and supplying accessories for iPads. Given the small team and limited technological resources at Paperlike, operational efficiency is a top priority for their eCommerce activities. After running their eCommerce website on the standard Shopify platform for a long time, Paperlike switched to Shopify Plus to find solutions to handle their increasing sales volume.

Despite having a small team, Paperlike successfully operates their Shopify Plus store thanks to unique automation tools such as Flow, LaunchPad, and Script.

• Website: https://paperlike.com/
• Industry: iPad accessories
• Traffic: 1.1M/month
• Rank: #68,046 (USA) & #149,026 (Global)

4. Mandaue Foam

Since its establishment in 1971, Mandaue Foam has become an indispensable name in the furniture industry in the Philippines. After four years of using the standard version of Shopify, Mandaue Foam upgraded to Shopify Plus to seek solutions for expansion and customization.

The brand utilized LaunchPad—a feature exclusive to Shopify Plus—to schedule marketing campaigns and automate product price updates and discounts. Since LaunchPad allows real-time tracking of each campaign’s performance, the Mandaue Foam team could understand customer behavior and adjust their campaigns accordingly.

Additionally, using Shopify Flow, Mandaue Foam automated their order management process. They created a workflow where, once an order is placed, one of their 28 physical locations with inventory for that product is notified to process the order. This ensured swift order fulfillment while eliminating the need for manual order tracking.

The platform switch and the implementation of eCommerce automation helped Mandaue Foam achieve a 200% increase in order volume, a 151% year-over-year increase in total sales, and a 16% increase in customer return rate.

• Website: https://mandauefoam.ph/
• Industry: Furniture
• Traffic: 486,503/month
• Rank: #2,745 (Philippines) & #170,520 (Global)

5. Fathead

Fathead is a provider of decorative products and decals featuring famous cartoon characters, superstars, and top athletes. The eCommerce system at Fathead encountered numerous issues over time, including frequent errors, poor performance, and time-consuming manual processes.

To address these challenges, Fathead decided to migrate to Shopify Plus for its easy and flexible customization options on a user-friendly interface. Fathead leveraged Shop Pay to simplify the checkout process, providing a streamlined shopping experience and boosting conversion rates. The brand also utilized Shopify Flow to set up multiple automated processes, including optimizing order processing. As a result, Fathead increased average order value by 46%, conversion rates by 10%, and overall revenue by 50%.

Website: https://fathead.com/

Industry: Sport

Traffic: 478,683/month

Rank: #45,624 (USA) & #268,411 (Global)

6. Doe Beauty

Doe Beauty is a beloved Korean cosmetics brand across Asia. From the early days of eCommerce, Doe Beauty built its website on the Shopify platform. Later, witnessing rapid growth and the need for system expansion, Doe Beauty decided to switch to Shopify Plus. Since then, 80% of the operations on their Shopify Plus store have been automated.

Thanks to Shopify Flow, Doe Beauty’s team can focus on creative and strategic business aspects. The order processing and inventory management are optimized and automatically monitored, enabling faster delivery. As a result, Doe Beauty provides customers with a smooth and convenient shopping experience. E-commerce automation with Shopify Plus has helped the Doe Beauty team save an average of 4 hours and increase the average order value by 5%.

• Website: https://doebeauty.com/
• Industry: Cosmetics
• Traffic: 294,315/month
• Rank: #47,193 (USA) & #291,920 (Global)

7. Jack Rogers

For over 60 years, Jack Rogers’ sandals and shoes have been loved by generations of consumers across the United States. Dissatisfied with their existing eCommerce system, Jack Rogers switched to Shopify Plus. This move provided access to a comprehensive infrastructure and outstanding solutions, optimizing inventory management—a persistent issue for Jack Rogers over the years.

After transitioning to the Shopify Plus store, the brand leveraged Shopify Flow to automate several operational processes, freeing their team from time-consuming manual tasks. The intuitive and user-friendly interface of Shopify Plus allowed the Jack Rogers team to easily add and edit products and categories, set up sales campaigns, and run advertisements. This led to remarkable growth in a short time, with website traffic increasing by over 60% and conversion rates by more than 30%.

• Website: https://www.jackrogersusa.com/
• Industry: Fashion
• Traffic: 257,196/month
• Rank: #54,465 (USA) & #340,679 (Global)

8. Cozykids

Cozykids is a popular destination for children’s products in Greece. The old WordPress-based system at Cozykids faced numerous issues due to manual operations and inadequate performance. As a result, Cozykids switched to Shopify Plus in search of a solution for performance and automation problems.

By using Shopify Flow, Cozykids automated inventory management for out-of-stock and low-stock products, eliminating the need for staff to manually monitor inventory levels. Additionally, Cozykids used Flow to automate customer interactions with out-of-stock products, allowing customers to pre-order at a discounted price and sign up for notifications when the products were back in stock. This automation was particularly important for the marketing team, as it helped them know when to stop promoting low-stock items and focus on other products.

For launching and promoting new products, Cozykids used Shopify LaunchPad to automate these processes. With both Flow and LaunchPad, Cozykids increased eCommerce website traffic by 40% and revenue by 80%. Additionally, the automated processes significantly reduced the time staff spent monitoring inventory levels, decreased errors from manual operations, and enhanced operational efficiency.

Website: https://cozykids.gr/en

Industry: Children’s products

Traffic: 61,781/month

Rank: #12,177 (Greece) & #1,386,032 (Global)

Final Words

eCommerce automation not only helps brands optimize their operational processes but also creates a better shopping experience for customers. The aforementioned brands have successfully used Shopify to enhance business efficiency and build customer trust. Shopify has proven to be a powerful and flexible tool, supporting businesses of all sizes and across various industries.

Need advice on implementing eCommerce automation with Shopify Plus? Contact SECOMM today!

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment methods have become a global trend, making it easier for consumers to shop without paying the full amount upfront. Below are some of the most famous BNPL providers worldwide.

1. Afterpay

Afterpay is one of the most popular BNPL services globally, especially in Australia, the US, and the UK. Founded in 2014 in Australia, Afterpay quickly expanded to many other markets and became a well-known name in the BNPL industry.

How it works: Afterpay allows consumers to split their payments into four interest-free installments over two weeks. No credit checks are required, and it is easily integrated into many eCommerce websites.

Benefits:

• Interest-free: No interest for short-term payments.
• Easy to use: Simple and quick registration process.
• Wide integration: Accepted at many stores and eCommerce sites.

Drawbacks:

• Late fees: Late fees can be high if payments are not made on time.
• Overspending: Consumers can easily overspend if they do not manage their finances well.

2. Klarna

Klarna is a Swedish fintech company providing BNPL services in many European countries and the US. With over 90 million users worldwide, Klarna is one of the largest BNPL providers.

How it works: Klarna offers various payment options, including paying in 30 days, splitting payments into four interest-free installments, or long-term financing with interest.

Benefits:

• Flexible payment options: Customers have various flexible options.
• Interest-free short-term: Helps save costs for consumers.
• Buyer protection policies: Protects customers in online transactions.

Drawbacks:

• High interest for the long-term: Can cause financial pressure for consumers.
• Late fees: Fees can be high if payments are not made on time.

3. Affirm

Affirm is a BNPL service from the US, founded by Max Levchin, one of the co-founders of PayPal. Affirm allows consumers in the US and Canada to shop and pay in flexible installments.

How it works: Affirm offers loans with payment terms from 3 to 36 months with clear interest rates from 0% to 30%, depending on the consumer’s credit.

Benefits:

• Clear interest rates: No hidden fees, clear interest rates.
• Flexible terms: Suitable for various financial needs.
• No hidden fees: Transparent and clear fees.

Drawbacks:

• High interest rates: For those with poor credit, interest rates can be very high.
• Credit impact: Late payments can affect the consumer’s credit score.

4. Zip (formerly Quadpay)

Zip is a BNPL service based in Australia, operating in several countries including the US, the UK, and New Zealand. Zip offers flexible payment solutions for consumers.

How it works: Zip allows consumers to split payments into four interest-free installments every two weeks or choose longer-term financing with interest.

Benefits:

• Interest-free short-term: Helps save costs for consumers.
• Easy to use: Simple registration and usage process.
• Wide integration: Accepted at many stores and e-commerce sites.

Drawbacks:

• Late fees: Late fees can be high if payments are not made on time.
• Interest for long-term: Can increase the total purchase cost.

5. Sezzle

Sezzle is a BNPL service from the US, primarily operating in North America. Sezzle focuses on providing flexible payment solutions for young consumers.

How it works: Sezzle allows consumers to split payments into four interest-free installments over six weeks. No credit checks are required during registration.

Benefits:

• Interest-free: No interest for short-term payments.
• Easy to use: Simple and quick registration process.
• No credit checks: Easily accessible service.

Drawbacks:

• Late fees: Late fees can be high if payments are not made on time.
• Geographical limitations: Only operates in North America.

6. Splitit

Splitit is another BNPL service from the US, with a different approach compared to traditional services. Splitit uses the available credit limit on consumers’ credit cards to split payments.

How it works: Splitit allows consumers to split payments into interest-free installments by holding the credit limit on their credit cards.

Benefits:

• Interest-free: No interest for short-term payments.
• No late fees: Consumers do not incur late fees.
• No credit checks: Easily accessible service.

Drawbacks:

• Credit limit dependency: Consumers need a sufficient credit limit on their credit cards.
• Limited flexibility: Not suitable for those without credit cards.

7. Perpay

Perpay is a BNPL service from the US, focusing on helping consumers purchase everyday products and pay in installments through direct payroll deductions.

How it works: Consumers can shop on the Perpay platform and pay monthly installments through direct payroll deductions.

Benefits:

• Interest-free: No interest for short-term payments.
• Easy management: Simple registration and easy installment management.
• Suitable for daily needs: Meets frequent consumer needs.

Drawbacks:

• Income dependency: If income is unstable, it can be difficult to pay installments.
• Monthly income impact: Can affect disposable income.

8. Openpay

Openpay is a BNPL service from Australia, offering flexible payment plans for consumers and businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

How it works: Openpay allows consumers to split payments into flexible installments ranging from 2 to 24 months.

Benefits:

• Flexible terms: Suitable for various financial needs.
• Interest-free short-term: Helps save costs for consumers.
• Suitable for large transactions: Ideal for high-value purchases.

Drawbacks:

• Interest for long-term: Can increase the total purchase cost.
• Late fees: Late fees can be high if payments are not made on time.

FINAL WORDS

The Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services have revolutionized how consumers shop globally, providing significant flexibility and convenience. Providers such as Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm, Zip, Sezzle, Splitit, Perpay, and Openpay have developed diverse financial solutions, meeting the needs of both consumers and businesses. Each service has its own advantages; however, using BNPL also comes with challenges such as late fees, the risk of overspending, and the impact on credit scores if not managed well.

To maximize the benefits of BNPL, consumers need to manage their finances carefully and choose the service that fits their needs and capabilities. Meanwhile, businesses should continue to work closely with BNPL providers to offer the best shopping experience for customers while fully exploiting the potential of this payment method.

In today’s global economy, international expansion is essential for e-commerce brands seeking revenue growth and global recognition. However, navigating new markets presents challenges such as logistics, regulations, and cultural differences.

Shopify Plus offers a robust platform designed to help high-growth businesses expand seamlessly. With features for localization, multi-currency transactions, and international shipping, it simplifies cross-border commerce.

In this three-part series, we’ll explore how 15 brands have successfully expanded internationally using Shopify Plus. In Part 1, we’ll dive into the success stories of Saturday Club, Who Give a Crap, Tineco, SodaStream, and Ruggable, examining their strategies, challenges, and the results of their global ventures.

Ruggable

Ruggable is known as a brand that specializes in producing and supplying high-quality rugs with a wide variety of designs, sizes, and materials. During the social distancing period due to Covid-19, the increased demand for home decoration and renovation helped Ruggable achieve remarkable growth, laying the foundation for its goal of expanding into international markets.

With Shopify Plus, Ruggable implemented a Headless store to flexibly customize the interface and features, providing customers with a seamless shopping experience. The Headless implementation also helped Ruggable customize their expanding store. The company has expanded into Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States. Shopify Markets made it much easier for Ruggable to convert currencies and update product prices when launching in new markets. Ruggable didn’t have to worry about issues like manual pricing or tracking currency conversions over time. Shopify Plus handled everything for Ruggable.

Website: https://ruggable.com/

Industry: Home and Garden

Traffic: 15.49M/month

Rank: #2,252 (USA) & #11,656 (Global)

Tineco

Since its establishment in 2002, Tineco has continuously researched and improved to provide customers with high-end vacuum cleaners and mops, enhancing the quality of life and saving time. Believing that offering customers an experience beyond expectations is the key to success, Tineco aims to target international markets. Initially, Tineco used Shopify to quickly build a functional eCommerce website as an independent sales channel. However, Tineco wanted to drive overseas growth by creating highly customizable stores without adding operational burdens like switching between different pages of the website.

Tineco upgraded to Shopify Plus to accelerate its international expansion. With the growth of the European market, Tineco utilized Shopify Plus’s expansion store feature to create additional stores across the continent. Tineco also used checkout extensibility to customize checkout pages, integrating apps like Smile: Loyalty & Rewards to add point reminders, encouraging repeat business, and offering buy-now-pay-later options to support conversions of high-order-value products.

Website: https://store.tineco.com/

Industry: Consumer Electronics

Traffic: 2.688M/month

Rank: #33,866 (USA) & #62,833 (Global)

SodaStream

Founded in 1903, SodaStream is an environmentally friendly brand that transforms tap water into carbonated beverages for consumers. Initially, some solutions and features of SodaStream’s website were based on Adobe Commerce, while others relied on local systems. The lack of uniformity in its e-commerce operations led to inefficiencies and hindered SodaStream’s ability to scale. This prompted the business to transition to the Shopify Plus platform. The flexibility of Shopify Plus allowed SodaStream to easily customize its expansion stores to meet the specific needs and preferences of customers in different regions. Additionally, Shopify Plus facilitated rapid deployment of new websites as SodaStream entered new markets, synchronizing online store launches with retail stores to create a seamless customer experience. As a result, SodaStream’s revenue increased by 20%, effectively managed data for 9 million users, and expanded globally to 16 websites across 15 countries within four years.

Website: https://sodastream.com/

Industry: FnB

Traffic: 2.496M/month

Rank: #12,360 (USA) & #56,939 (Global)

Who Give a Crap

Who Gives a Crap is a brand specializing in manufacturing and supplying high-quality toilet paper with attractive designs. Initially, the brand adopted a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model and used the Shopify platform. However, as the brand aimed to transition to the next growth phase with a primary goal of international expansion, Who Gives a Crap needed more robust eCommerce capabilities. Additionally, the company targeted implementing a business-to-business (B2B) model for growth. However, with mostly manual B2B ordering processes, each new wholesale transaction meant additional time spent on administrative tasks like inventory reconciliation, making B2B scaling challenging.

Soon after, Who Gives a Crap upgraded to Shopify Plus to leverage the expansion store feature and swiftly set up three separate custom online stores for target markets in the US, UK, and Europe. The company also used the expansion store feature to launch B2B stores. By using B2B on Shopify, Who Gives a Crap enabled creating custom pricing for each wholesale customer, self-service ordering, and automated order fulfillment processes. This toilet paper brand also utilized Shopify Flow to create and customize automation workflows to optimize operations integrating both D2C and B2B.

Website: whogivesacrap.org

Industry: Groceries

Traffic: 2.247M/month

Rank: #5,310 (UK) & #66,212 (Global)

Saturday Club

Saturday Club is a renowned fashion retailer based in Singapore, dedicated to providing customers with high-quality products and an engaging shopping experience. Starting as a B2B brand, Saturday Club has evolved over two decades to establish a large retail business with an extensive online presence spanning countries such as Malaysia, Japan, the USA, the UK, and Australia.

Saturday Club expanded its online operations to several other countries using the Adobe Commerce eCommerce platform and deployed PrestaShop in some markets. However, each country launch typically took over a month and incurred high costs, sometimes exceeding SGD 10,000 for markets served by the Adobe Commerce platform. Additionally, troubleshooting, complexities arising from integrations and backups, and data migration consumed significant time and budget for Saturday Club.

After transitioning to Shopify Plus, Saturday Club utilized the expansion store feature to scale up to 4 international stores and checkout extensibility to easily implement third-party payment gateway solutions, offering customers in different international markets more purchasing options. As a result, Saturday Club launched 9 international stores within 6 months, increased its global customer base by 5%, and achieved a 38% year-over-year revenue growth in Malaysia during the Chinese New Year 2024.

Website: https://sg.saturdayclub.com/

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 435,965/month

Rank: #2,578 (Singapore) & #233,691 (Global)

Final Words

Expanding internationally is a significant milestone for any e-commerce brand, and as we’ve seen, Shopify Plus is a powerful ally in this journey. The success stories of Saturday Club, Who Give a Crap, Tineco, SodaStream, and Ruggable highlight how leveraging the right tools and strategies can overcome the complexities of entering new markets.

As we conclude Part 1 of this series, it’s clear that the potential for global e-commerce is immense. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or an established brand, the experiences of these companies provide valuable insights and inspiration. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll continue to explore more brands thriving globally with the help of Shopify Plus.

WooCommerce is known as the ‘golden standard’ for many eCommerce businesses. With its intuitive, user-friendly interface and free usage, WooCommerce enables businesses to start operating immediately.

However, its limitations in customization, scalability, and performance, along with the need for ongoing maintenance, have driven many brands to look for better solutions beyond the “WooCommerce world.” Shopify Plus has become a popular choice for those seeking to optimize their platform transition.

Let’s delve into why the five brands below chose to migrate their e-commerce websites from WooCommerce to Shopify Plus and how this decision has boosted their conversion rates and sales.

1. Woobles

The Woobles is a prominent brand specializing in crochet kits for beginners, with a mission to bring joy and creativity through learning to crochet. Founded with the goal of making it easy for people to access and experience the art of crochet, The Woobles provides complete kits and detailed instructions, enabling users to create adorable products within just a few hours of learning.

After a period of selling on Etsy, the company decided to build its own eCommerce website. Initially, they chose WooCommerce and took only a few weeks to set up the site. However, as The Woobles’ brand grew more popular and website traffic increased, the page loading speed became inefficient. They realized that the money saved on platform fees was far outweighed by the costs of fixing technical issues and maintaining the system.

Switching from the WooCommerce platform to Shopify Plus allowed The Woobles to optimize their investment and leverage the application ecosystem and solutions offered by Shopify and third parties. Shopify’s robust infrastructure helped The Woobles provide customers with a customized shopping experience and handle surges in traffic. Notably, The Woobles’ Shopify Plus website can maintain an uptime of up to 99.99%.

Website: https://thewoobles.com/

Industry: Toys and Gifts

Traffic: 4.997M/month

Rank: #6,216 (USA) & #31,974 (Global)

2. Wilding

Wilding is a prominent shoe brand that specializes in providing comfortable and stylish footwear for consumers. In 2018, Wilding experienced remarkable growth. However, despite a fairly high repeat customer rate, the conversion rate for new customers did not meet expectations.

With a multi-channel sales strategy, Wilding decided to transition from WooCommerce to the Shopify Plus platform to rebuild its eCommerce system. Additionally, the brand opened several showrooms in various locations across Germany and implemented the Shopify POS solution. This allows customers to try on shoes before deciding to purchase either in-store or through the website. The Shopify POS system integrates sales channels and links transactions, enabling Wilding to manage inventory, orders, and track customer behavior more easily and efficiently.

Website: wildling.shoes

Industry: Fashion

Traffic: 1.783M/month

Rank: #4,971 (Germany) & #80,383 (Global)

3. Sunology

Since its founding in 2019, Sunology has gradually established itself as one of Europe’s leading solar equipment providers. After a long period of eCommerce implementation with WooCommerce, Sunology decided to switch to Shopify Plus to seek better customization and scalability solutions to achieve its growth and global expansion goals.

Using Shopify Script allows the company to manage custom material allocations for each solar device. This way, customers can design solar power stations tailored to their specific needs. In addition to streamlining and optimizing Sunology’s management processes, Script also optimizes checkout to provide a more appealing shopping experience for customers.

Sunology also leverages the Shopify Markets tool to quickly set up and efficiently manage multiple stores from a single dashboard. This application makes it easy to translate store content from one language to another, significantly supporting Sunology’s international expansion ambitions.

Website: https://sunology.eu/

Industry: Home & Garden

Traffic: 583,349/month

Rank: #12,355 (France) & #353,837 (Global)

4. T1TAN

T1TAN is a brand specializing in the production and supply of high-quality sports equipment and accessories, particularly in the field of football. T1TAN’s flagship product is goalkeeper gloves, renowned for their durability, comfort, and superior protection. These gloves are developed to meet the most stringent standards.

With their WooCommerce system, T1TAN experienced a website crash during a sale of limited edition products at discounted prices. The T1TAN team realized they needed a more robust and flexible eCommerce platform. Since switching to Shopify Plus, T1TAN has handled multiple major shopping events with surges in traffic and transactions without any website crashes. This platform change has resulted in a 25% increase in conversion rates, zero downtime, and expansion into six additional markets across Europe.

Website: https://uk.t1tan.com/

Industry: Sport

Traffic: 492,054/month

Rank: #621,737 (USA) & #241,413 (Global)

5. RUDIS

RUDIS is a renowned brand specializing in products and equipment for wrestling, with a mission to support and enhance the performance of athletes at all levels. RUDIS products are designed using advanced technology and premium materials, ensuring durability, comfort, and high performance.

As their eCommerce business grew rapidly, RUDIS struggled to scale their existing WooCommerce system, making a platform switch the only viable solution. RUDIS chose Shopify Plus. After launching the new website, the RUDIS team quickly integrated ERP NetSuite and third-party systems to optimize sales, shipping, and payment processes. With Shopify Plus, RUDIS achieved unprecedented growth, including:

• An 80% increase in revenue
• A 70% increase in the number of orders
• A 27% increase in conversion rate

Website: https://www.rudis.com/

Industry: Sport

Traffic: 395,166/month

Rank: #42,519 (USA) & #252,797 (Global)

Final Words

Here are five brands that have witnessed a remarkable change in sales by re-platforming from WooCommerce to Shopify Plus. An important point to note is that while WooCommerce is free and easy to use, complex customizations can be costly and sometimes impractical due to limitations in WordPress and WooCommerce infrastructure. Additionally, businesses may face performance and website speed issues, leading to higher costs for system repairs and maintenance.

On the other hand, Shopify Plus provides businesses with flexible customization options at a more optimal cost, and maintenance and updates are streamlined following Shopify’s standards.

Need more help? Contact SECOMM today!