Solution:
B2C E‑Commerce
Industry:
Retail
Core sector:
Retail
Cross-Border Development in the Italian Market With a Scalable
E-commerce Platform
The Challenge
Super-Pharm is a chain of pharmacies and drugstores offering a wide range of health, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products. It has been operating on the Polish market for years, combining brick-and-mortar sales, conducted in nearly 80 physical stores, with the developing e-commerce segment.
Foreign expansion is the next step in the company's development strategy, aimed at strengthening its position in the international market. Super-Pharm decided to launch its first cross-border e-commerce platform in Italy, using Adobe Commerce technology. The project aimed to build a scalable, convenient, and adapted to the specifics of the local market sales tool, with the possibility of further expansion into new markets.
Choosing the right technology partner was a key element in the project's success. Super-Pharm decided to collaborate with Univio, whose team was to ensure full scalability and system stability. In the face of planned expansion into new markets, it was essential for the platform to operate without disruptions and to be able to flexibly respond to increasing load.
To ensure smooth operation under conditions of increased traffic and during the implementation of new functionalities, a thorough audit of the code and architecture was conducted. The audit covered five key areas: backend, frontend, infrastructure, application architecture, and integrations.
The analysis results identified critical elements requiring optimization, which enabled the introduction of a series of improvements, such as reducing the number of database queries and optimizing the performance of the entire system.
- In the first phase of the project, a detailed market analysis was conducted to understand the needs of local customers and the specifics of the Italian market. It helped identify key consumer aspects, payment preferences, and logistical requirements.
- One of the challenges was adapting the integration between Adobe Commerce and the ERP system, as the existing solution did not account for serving foreign markets and was not adapted to a multilingual multistore.
- It was necessary to completely remodel the order processing, price management, and current inventory management processes to ensure their consistency and efficiency in an international environment.
- The project's assumption was also to create a new interface adapted to the specifics of Italian users. Based on mockups prepared by the UX/UI team, mobile and desktop views were designed to provide an intuitive shopping experience.
- The layout was rebuilt according to a mobile-first approach, and key elements, such as product tiles and product cards, were designed with convenience and aesthetics in mind.
- Adapting the product offering required preparing descriptions in Italian based on the Polish language version and introducing appropriate prices in euros.
The Solution
- In response to local preferences, Cash on Delivery payment option and integration with Adyen were implemented, which allowed for the launch of payments such as: Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal. These solutions increased shopping comfort and met the expectations of Italian customers, who often prefer traditional forms of payment.
- To improve deliveries, new logistics solutions were introduced, such as local pickup points and delivery options taking into account specific fees for certain postal codes, which was particularly important for regions such as islands. Thanks to cooperation with a local Italian carrier, shipments are still sent from the Polish warehouse, which ensures full control over the logistics process and allows for flexible delivery management.
- To improve customer service, a local chat in Italian was implemented and email support was expanded, which enabled quick and precise resolution of customer inquiries. The new approach to customer service positively influenced building loyalty and trust in the brand. Additionally, a review management system was implemented, giving Italian customers access to reliable product reviews, which increased the platform's credibility.
- Over 2 million words covering 8.4 thousand products were translated. It was also necessary to redefine the product catalog to eliminate unused items, such as vitamins and supplements, to better adapt the assortment to the requirements of the local market.
- To improve data management and ensure full system integration, advanced modifications were made in the connection between Adobe Commerce and the ERP system, especially in the area of order processing, prices, and product information. As a result, these processes became more efficient and compliant with the requirements of the Italian market. As a result, the platform operates stably, and product offering management has been significantly improved.
- In concern for the stability and efficiency of the system, an architecture audit was conducted, followed by a series of optimizations. The functioning of the shopping cart was improved. The infrastructure was modernized, which shortened service downtime during releases to 15 minutes, ensuring platform continuity with minimal disruptions.
- To ensure compliance with local regulations, the Omnibus directive was implemented, enabling tracking of the lowest product prices from the last 30 days. Thanks to this, Super-Pharm became one of the few e-commerce drugstores in Italy that offers customers full price transparency.
- Additionally, the Super-Pharm team focused on improving the brand's visibility online. Cooperation with a local marketing agency and the implementation of an SEO strategy contributed to increasing recognition and improving position in search results.
The Result
The Technologies
/ Behind Solutions
Modern PIM for Pharmacy Chains: Full Control Over Product Data
Super-Pharm implemented the PIM system to streamline product data management, enhance e-commerce operations, and improve marketing flexibility.
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