Lonely Planet, a renowned global travel guidebook publisher and digital travel content provider, approached us with a mission to streamline their eCommerce operations. Known for their extensive travel resources and guides, Lonely Planet faced challenges with a complex and outdated eCommerce system that hindered their operational efficiency and customer experience.
Lonely Planet's legacy eCommerce infrastructure was a complex web of three separate websites, each catering to different regions and operating on outdated custom platforms. This setup created several issues:
- Operational Complexity - Managing three distinct sites meant dealing with multiple back-end systems, which complicated inventory management, order processing, and customer service.
- Integration Issues - The existing system required integration with three separate fulfillment centers globally, leading to inefficient processes and frequent disruptions.
- Customer Experience - A fragmented approach resulted in inconsistent user experiences across regions, leading to customer dissatisfaction and potential loss of sales.
- Scalability - The legacy system was not adaptable to future growth or changes in eCommerce trends, limiting Lonely Planet’s ability to quickly implement new features or optimize performance.
What we did
- Website consolidation
- Shopify Plus upgrade
- Custom Shopify Plus theme build
- Simplified back-end integration
How we did it
Our team proposed a comprehensive solution to address these challenges by migrating Lonely Planet to a unified Shopify Plus platform. Our expertise in global logistics provided a solid base for all our recommendations for Lonely Planet. The solution involved several key steps:
Consolidation of Websites
We combined the three separate regional sites into a single, unified Shopify Plus store. This move utilized Shopify Markets to handle multiple regions from one central site, simplifying management and improving user experience.
Custom Shopify Plus Theme Build
We worked with the LP design team to design and develop a customized Shopify Plus theme build that reflected Lonely Planet's brand identity while offering a modern and intuitive user experience. The new theme was optimized for performance and responsive design, ensuring seamless access across devices.
Simplified Back-End Integration
We streamlined the back-end operations by integrating the new Shopify Plus store with Lonely Planet's existing global fulfillment centers. This integration involved developing custom connectors and workflows to ensure smooth order processing and inventory management.
Enhanced Customer Experience
The unified site structure allowed for a consistent shopping experience across all regions. With Shopify Markets, Lonely Planet could easily manage localized pricing and currencies, enhancing the overall customer experience and increasing engagement.
Scalability and Flexibility
Shopify Plus provided a scalable solution that could adapt to future needs, allowing Lonely Planet to easily implement new features, optimize processes, and expand their digital presence.
The Implementation Process
Our step-by-step implementation process involved:
- Discovery and Planning - We conducted a thorough analysis of Lonely Planet's existing systems, identified key pain points, and defined the requirements for the new Shopify Plus setup.
- Design and Development - Our design team created a custom Shopify Plus theme build, focusing on aligning with Lonely Planet’s brand and optimizing user experience. Concurrently, our development team built and tested the integrations with the fulfillment centers.
- Migration and Testing - We meticulously migrated data from the legacy systems to Shopify Plus, including customer accounts, product information, and historical orders. Rigorous testing ensured that all functionalities worked seamlessly in the new environment.
- Launch and Support - The new Shopify Plus store was launched with comprehensive support to address any post-launch issues and ensure a smooth transition for both customers and the internal team.
Results
The transition to Shopify Plus yielded remarkable results for Lonely Planet:
Tripled Revenue
In under 12 months, Lonely Planet saw their revenue triple, a testament to the effectiveness of the new unified platform and optimized user experience.
Operational Efficiency
Consolidating three sites into one reduced complexity and streamlined operations, allowing Lonely Planet to manage their eCommerce business more effectively.
Improved Customer Experience
The unified site provided a consistent and enhanced shopping experience across regions, leading to increased customer satisfaction and higher conversion rates.
Seamless Fulfillment Integration
The new integration with fulfillment centers improved order processing efficiency, reducing delays and operational disruptions.
Scalability and Flexibility
Shopify Plus offered a flexible platform that could easily accommodate future growth and evolving eCommerce needs.
What Lonely Planet said
“Great expertise. Helped migrate from an outdated solution with very old process. Made sure we were using the latest technologies and reduced complexity. Team was very quick to respond, eager to contribute ideas, and worked well within our internal teams.”
