Discover how Treedom's migration to commercetools empowered its mission of sustainability, driving impressive results in conversion rates, recurrent customers, average order values, ROAS and customer satisfaction.
In a world where environmental consciousness is paramount, Treedom stands out as a beacon of sustainable business practices. Founded in 2010 by Federico Garcea and Tommaso Speroni, Treedom embarked on a mission to combat deforestation and create a positive long-term social and environmental impact. Over the years, Treedom has evolved into a global force for change with the planting of more than 3 million trees in Africa, South America, Asia and Italy which are planted directly by local farmers, and bring environmental, social and financial benefits to their communities.
To keep up with its mission of reaching as many tree-loving people as possible, Treedom needed to replace its aging homegrown commerce platform with an alternative that could keep up with its pace of growth. That's when the company turned over a new leaf with commercetools Composable Commerce and successfully replatformed — experiencing a bounty of benefits.
Rooted in purpose: Treedom's sustainable mission
At the core of Treedom's success lies a clear and sustainable mission. What began as an initiative to combat deforestation has blossomed into a multifaceted approach toward environmental conservation and social impact. Treedom has expanded its mission beyond tree planting, engaging in agroforestry projects that promote biodiversity, improve soil quality and generate benefits for both the environment and local communities.
Treedom's commitment to sustainability is exemplified by its B-Corp certification since 2014. This prestigious certification awarded by B Lab, a global nonprofit organization, recognizes companies that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency — further solidifying Treedom's dedication to operating as a force for positive change.
Unearthing the need for better eCommerce
As Treedom experienced remarkable growth over time, its in-house commerce solution started encountering a multitude of challenges. With the constant rise in the number of tree plantings and an ever-expanding range of product offerings, the company's existing system began to feel the strain. The limitations of its solution became more pronounced as the need for scalability, customization and reliable support grew increasingly apparent.
It became evident to Treedom that a new commerce solution was necessary to meet its evolving requirements and ensure the continued success of its operations. The search for a suitable alternative was driven by the need to accommodate its expanding business while simultaneously delivering a seamless and exceptional customer experience.
Treedom recognized that a robust and flexible commerce platform was crucial for the company to maintain its position as a leader in the tree-planting industry and continue its mission of environmental conservation on a global scale.
It became evident that the custom in-house solution we previously relied on was inadequate for a larger organization. While it may have sufficed for a small company, it couldn't handle the demands of hundreds of daily transactions and generating millions in revenue. We needed a more reliable solution to ensure smooth operations and continued growth.
CIO, Treedom
Collaborating with commercetools: A transformative partnership
Treedom embarked on a thorough market survey to identify the best commerce solutions available. The company sought an eCommerce solution that could not only handle its current needs but also adapt and grow alongside its business. Scalability was a key consideration, as the company required a solution that could effortlessly scale up to support the increasing volume of tree plantings and accommodate future growth projections. Customization capabilities were also essential to align the commerce platform with Treedom's unique branding and business processes, ensuring a tailored and personalized experience for its customers.
Moreover, the importance of robust support and technical expertise became apparent as Treedom recognized the significance of having a reliable partner to guide it through the migration process and provide ongoing assistance. The company was seeking a commerce solution provider that could offer comprehensive support, responsive customer service and a deep understanding of its industry's specific requirements.
Among the contenders, commercetools emerged as the ideal partner, offering a modern composable commerce platform that aligned perfectly with Treedom's vision. commercetools' MACH® architecture allowed Treedom to integrate its existing systems seamlessly while providing the flexibility and customizability required for its diverse product range and global operations. The collaboration between Treedom and commercetools marked a transformative moment in Treedom's commitment to reaching as many people as possible in its mission to promote a greener future.
We really love the balance of how you can customize the commercetools system, as well as the out-of-the-box functionality that it has. It's a really open framework that is highly customizable, therefore you have to adapt your system and your processes to it.
System Integration Manager, Treedom
Migration: Sprouting growth with commercetools
Treedom's migration to commercetools involved a strangler approach that was accomplished in five months. The process began with formalizing current processes to understand existing and future needs. The technical assessment of commercetools' features and architecture paved the way for the development of the migration plan.
We successfully migrated from our outdated legacy application to a new application developed using commercetools: React and Next.js for the frontend, and our own backend. This innovative approach empowered us to handle the unique challenges of sourcing trees from numerous small providers worldwide. From a business perspective, our aim was to leverage a comprehensive enterprise tool that could efficiently manage our operations.
Senior Frontend Developer, Treedom
Data migration: Treedom collaborated closely with the commercetools team to ensure a seamless transfer of data from the previous solution. This included product catalogs, customer data, order history, and promotional codes. Meticulous data mapping and validation were conducted to ensure accuracy and integrity during the migration process.
Customization and integration: One of the key advantages of commercetools was its flexibility and extensibility. Treedom leveraged this capability to customize the platform to its specific requirements. It integrated its existing GraphQL backend and React frontend seamlessly with commercetools, creating a unified and tailored eCommerce experience.
Inventory and stock management: With Treedom's global tree sourcing and complex warehouse processes, inventory management was crucial. commercetools provided robust inventory management features, allowing Treedom to track stock levels, manage tree availability and optimize its supply chain processes.
Enhanced customer experience: Treedom prioritized delivering an exceptional user experience for its customers. commercetools' composable commerce architecture enabled Treedom to design and implement intuitive product catalogs, personalized recommendations and seamless checkout processes. This resulted in an improved overall customer journey and increased customer satisfaction.
Scalability and performance: As Treedom continued to expand its operations and impact, scalability and performance were critical considerations. commercetools, being a headless and cloud-native platform, provided the scalability and reliability needed to handle increasing traffic, transactions and product catalogs. This ensured a seamless shopping experience for customers even during peak periods.
We are thrilled with the improvements brought by commercetools. One of the most significant benefits is our streamlined stock management, which is crucial for our operations and a major asset for our company. Previously, we would spend a considerable amount of time trying to reconcile our sales with our inventory, ensuring everything was aligned. Thanks to commercetools, this has become a seamless process, saving us valuable time and effort. Additionally, the promotional code engine has been a game-changer for both our team and end-users. It allows us to effortlessly create various promotional flows without having to manually implement complex logic.
Backend Developer, Treedom
The results of Treedom's eCommerce migration
The migration to commercetools brought about a remarkable transformation in Treedom's eCommerce capabilities. Backed by impressive statistics, Treedom witnessed a substantial improvement in various key performance indicators. In the first quarter after implementation alone, Treedom experienced a conversion rate increase of 116% year over year.
Recurrent customers also saw a significant boost of 26% year over year. Furthermore, the net average order value (AOV) increased by 7% year over year, reaching €32.54 in 2023 compared to €30.41 in 2022. The return on advertising spend (ROAS) surged by an impressive 151% year over year, with a positive ROAS of x1.61 compared to 2022's x0.64.
Treedom's efforts to enhance the customer experience were evident in the improved average revenue per user (ARPU), which witnessed a remarkable increase of 127% year over year, from €0.59 in 2022 to €1.34 in 2023. These statistics serve as a testament to the transformative power of technological advancements and the collaborative efforts of Treedom and commercetools.
Why has Treedom's experienced such a boost in growth? According to Francesco, one of the reasons is that, "Now, we can offer our customers a robust and seamless solution. Previously, they faced numerous challenges when completing purchases, managing their cards and accessing order details. However, thanks to our efforts, the process is now exceptionally smooth. We take great pride in delivering an enhanced customer experience."
Teamwork makes the dream work: The power of internal collaboration
Treedom recognizes that teamwork is essential in achieving its sustainability goals. Internally, it fosters a culture of collaboration where every team member plays a crucial role in the organization's success. Brando Meniconi, System Integration Manager at Treedom confirms, "We are incredibly fortunate to have a team filled with highly skilled individuals, ranging from seasoned veterans to enthusiastic newcomers. Each member brings their unique expertise and passion, regardless of their level of experience."
Brando continues explaining the benefits of the company's flat structure: "Our collaborative work environment is a key factor in our success, as we value the contributions and learning opportunities from every team member, regardless of their tenure. We take pride in our non-hierarchical structure, where decision-making is a collective effort rather than being solely dictated by the top. This approach allows us to tap into the wealth of knowledge and skills possessed by each individual, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. Together, we strive to reach new heights and elevate each other to achieve our shared goals."
Each team member has their own specific role, such as integration or frontend and backend development, yet despite having individual responsibilities, they work together in tandem and parallel to ensure the success of their projects. Brando explains how, at Treedom, teamwork cultivates a sense of unity and purpose, allowing Treedom to execute its mission effectively and drive positive change on a global scale.
Typically, one would complete one task and then move on to the next, following a sequential or waterfall approach. However, in our team, we work in parallel, which can be quite challenging. But in the end, we manage to handle all the different aspects and bring them together to make everything work harmoniously. The feeling of accomplishment when we successfully completed the project was truly remarkable. Working in this team has been a source of great enjoyment for me, and I believe it serves as a strong motivator for our daily work.
System Integration Manager, Treedom
Cultivating a greener future: Treedom's ongoing journey
The partnership with commercetools has empowered Treedom to further its mission of sustainable development. The team at Treedom can focus on the things that matter instead of putting extra time and resources into working around its eCommerce system — as Valerio Manzo, CIO at Treedom says, "The monster is no more." The enhanced operational efficiency and seamless customer experiences have allowed Treedom to focus on what it does best — planting trees and fostering environmental and social change.
With a scalable and customizable commerce solution in place, Treedom can adapt quickly to market changes, introduce new features and expand its offerings. This continued growth enables Treedom to make a tangible and lasting impact, empowering local communities, promoting biodiversity, and combating deforestation worldwide. Through its commitment to sustainability and the transformative power of technology, Treedom continues to make a positive impact, one tree at a time.
Are you a B2B firm interested in migrating to composable commerce? Then download The Composable Commerce Migration Guide for B2B.