50 Million USD
2
London, England
Retail
B2C
LoveCrafts faced a multifaceted challenge as it sought to migrate from its existing Magento 1 commerce platform. The complexity of LoveCrafts business model, which blended eCommerce, community and content delivery, required a solution that could seamlessly integrate these facets into a unified user experience. With Magento 1 reaching the end of support, LoveCrafts needed to make a strategic decision about its next commerce platform.
Although Magento 2 seemed like a natural choice, LoveCrafts recognized that a more innovative approach was necessary to meet its unique demands. LoveCrafts' business, centered on fostering a vibrant crafting community, required a solution that could not only handle traditional eCommerce transactions but also facilitate community engagement and content sharing. This prompted LoveCrafts to consider composable architecture, a component-based system providing the flexibility needed to support the company's diverse business objectives.
In navigating this issue, LoveCrafts not only sought a replacement for its commerce platform but a holistic solution that could cater to its specific needs in eCommerce, community building and content delivery. The challenge extended beyond finding a new platform; it was about reimagining LoveCrafts entire technological infrastructure to align with the dynamic and interconnected nature of its business.
LoveCrafts strategically crafted a solution that involved the integration of commercetools with several other vendors to address the diverse requirements of its business model aka a best-of-breed approach. This allowed LoveCrafts to avoid the constraints of a one-size-fits-all solution and, instead, tailor the company's technology stack to meet its evolving needs. The API-first approach of commercetools provided the flexibility needed to address the complexities of LoveCrafts' business, supporting not only eCommerce transactions but also the intricacies of community interaction and content delivery.
In selecting Vue Storefront, LoveCrafts found a frontend solution that perfectly complemented its vision. Vue Storefront's composable architecture enabled them to mix and match backend systems seamlessly, offering the flexibility crucial for a business that values both content-driven experiences and community engagement. The choice of Adyen as the payment service provider further demonstrated LoveCrafts' commitment to a comprehensive and integrated solution.
Modularity and extensibility were paramount for us. Not only did we have peace of mind because we can realize future requirements, it also enabled us to launch changes to our users incrementally, running commercetools in parallel. Although this cautious and risk-averse approach may take a little longer, it results in a smoother roll-out with happy users while also minimizing the shock to internal operations — often compared to an open-heart surgery by our senior leadership.
CTO, LoveCrafts
The success of LoveCrafts' transformation lies in the meticulous execution of an incremental, screen-by-screen migration strategy. This approach, made possible by the modularity of commercetools, allowed for careful deployment of user experience changes after thorough testing. Migrating with an incremental approach ensured a smooth transition. The checkout, the most complex part of the commerce experience, was the first component successfully released and all other feature launches soon followed. Moving from a pre-provisioned infrastructure to a cloud-native one has equaled a whopping 60% reduction in hosting fees.
Positive user feedback during this process attests to the success of its customer-focused strategy, emphasizing usability and user experience. LoveCrafts' commitment to innovation, flexibility, and a close-knit partnership with these platforms has positioned them for sustained growth in the ever-evolving eCommerce landscape.
