Magento Multistore / Comprehensive Guide

Multistore, a functionality that enables the management of multiple online stores from a single platform, is becoming a key tool for companies looking to expand their business into various markets. Advanced solutions in this regard are offered by one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the market – Magento 2.

If you plan to create several online stores or start cross-border sales in one or many new markets, implementing Magento with multistore functionality could be the solution.

What is Multistore?

As your business grows, there will likely come a time when you decide to expand internationally and start cross-border sales or open up to new customers, such as to individuals from the public if you currently conduct B2B sales. By creating a base e-commerce platform with Magento 2 technology, you can use a tool that avoids the lengthy process of implementing another store, simplifying the process significantly.

Multistore is a feature for managing multiple online stores from a single Magento instance. In practice, this means you can control various stores from one admin panel, each with different domains, languages, currencies, or product offerings with varying prices for different customer groups.

Examples of multistore applications include international companies selling in various countries, brands offering diverse product lines, and businesses combining retail (B2C) and wholesale (B2B) sales on one platform.

The benefits of implementing multistore in Magento include time savings, centralized management, and brand consistency, although it is also possible to build different brands within a single instance.

Magento Multistore Structure

The multistore functionality in Magento is based on a four-level structure, supporting the flexible management of multiple stores from one admin panel. This enables businesses to tailor their stores to the specific requirements of different target markets and customer groups.

Global Level

The global level is the basic and highest level in the Magento structure. It is the foundation on which the entire Magento instance and all its components are built. Settings defined at this level apply to all stores, websites, and store views within the instance.

 Key features:

• System configuration: system settings like default language, measurement units, cache configuration, and other global parameters.
• User management: global management of users, roles, and administrative permissions.
• Integrations: global integrations with external systems like ERP, CRM, payment, and shipping systems.

Website Level

The website level represents the main business units in the instance. Each website can have its own domain, tax settings, payment, and shipping methods. Stores at this level are completely independent, allowing for different operations within one Magento instance.

Key features:

• Individual settings: each website can have unique settings for payment methods, shipping, tax rules, etc.
• Separate domains: websites can be assigned different domains, allowing management of various websites from one admin panel.
• Users and permissions: user management and permissions can be configured separately for each website.

Store Level

The store level is part of the website and can share the product catalog with it. Stores within a website can have different category structures, but products and their data are shared.

Key features:

• Product catalog: products are shared between stores within a website, making it easier to manage a large number of products.
• Category structure: each store can have a unique category structure, with customization to meet specific customer needs and presenting selected categories.
• Look and templates: stores can have different templates and themes, enabling the customization of the site’s appearance for different target groups.

Store View Level

The lowest level in the hierarchy is the store view, which enables further customization of the store, such as by changing the language, currency, or specific settings for the target market.

Key features:

• Aligning customers with locations: each store view can be configured for a specific language and location, which is important for companies operating in different countries.
• Currency: the ability to set different currencies for each store view, aids in facilitating sales across multiple markets.
• Content presentation: store views allow for content such as product descriptions, promotional banners and CMS pages for specific customer groups to be customized.

E-commerce Multistore Magento Benefits

Implementing multistore in Magento brings numerous benefits, significantly impacting operational efficiency, market reach, and customer experience.

Managing Stores from a Single Admin Panel

Magento 2 enables the central management of multiple stores from one admin panel, simplifying and streamlining daily operations.

• Unified access: administrators have access to all stores and can make changes in one place, saving time and resources.
• Easier administration: centralized management provides better control over operations, easier performance monitoring, and process consistency across stores.
• Consolidated administration: all stores can be managed from one place, simplifying monitoring and controlling operations.
• Operational efficiency: reducing the need to log into different panels for each store saves time and minimizes administrative errors.

Flexibility and Scalability

Magento multistore enables the easy addition of new stores and store views without installing additional platform instances to open a new website.

• Scalability: enables growing companies to quickly add new markets or product lines.
• Flexibility: the ability to customize stores to specific needs, such as different languages, currencies, or payment methods.

Brand Consistency

Despite the variety of stores, a consistent brand image can be maintained. Magento enables:

• Consistent user experience: maintaining a uniform look and style across all store pages.
• Centralized promotion management: launching coordinated marketing and promotional campaigns in different stores.

Adaptation to Local Markets

Each store can be tailored to the specific requirements of local markets, including:

• Different languages and currencies: each store view can support various languages and currencies, enhancing the shopping experience for customers from different countries.
• Local tax and shipping settings: the ability to configure specific tax rules and shipping methods for different markets.

Product Catalog Management

Magento provides efficient product catalog management in a multistore environment.

• Shared products: products can be shared between different stores, reducing the need to duplicate data and easing updates.
• Unique categories: each store can have its own unique category structure, better matching customer needs.

SEO Optimization

The Magento 2 multistore platform allows for the individual SEO optimization of each store, including:

• Customized SEO strategies: the ability to tailor keywords, meta descriptions, and content to the specific needs of local markets.
• Different domains: each store can be assigned a separate domain, increasing its visibility in search engines.

Personalization and User Experience

Customization of the appearance and functionality of each store for specific customer groups is possible.

• Personalized experiences: better matching the offer and product presentation to customer preferences.
• Different themes and templates: each store can have a unique look, tailoring the visual experience for different target groups.

Easier Content Management

With Magento’s CMS, managing content across different stores is straightforward.

• Personalized CMS pages: each new store can have its own personalized information pages, policies, FAQs, etc.
• Banners and promotions: different promotional campaigns and banners can be created for individual stores.

Integration with External Systems

Magento multistore has various functions for integrating with ERP, CRM, and other tools.

• Process automation: synchronizing product data, inventory management, order processing, and automating marketing processes.
• Operational efficiency: integration with external tools increases efficiency and reduces the risk of human errors.

Expand Sales with Magento

Leveraging the multistore capabilities of Magento technology offers numerous benefits, resulting in greater operational efficiency, business flexibility, and scalability, better adaptation to target market requirements, and improved customer experiences. Thanks to these advantages, Magento becomes an ideal solution for companies looking to efficiently and integrally manage multiple online stores.