While several platforms have been selling artisanal products online before Flourish came into existence, none were focussing on creating both social and environmental impact together. We were privileged to be invited to help create this globally-reaching ecommerce platform that enabled artisans worldwide to sell their products effortlessly on the platform.
Our enthusiasm was driven by the knowledge that this project would not only create a global ecommerce platform but also positively impact livelihoods and lives.
Create a marketplace like operation on Shopify which can support selling multiple brands from different sellers across categories shipping globally.
On the surface, it sounded pretty straightforward: an online shop for sustainable brands but building Flourish’s new ecommerce solution was never going to be easy to build. As a platform with global aspirations, everything needed to happen at a massive scale; tons of operational infrastructure, a huge catalogue of SKU’s with unique information, and to create a design which appeals to audiences worldwide.
Our challenge was to create a multi-brand store at scale on Shopify without a seller panel integration and then have it not only reliably work, but also be able to scale with Flourish’s global launch roadmap and increase performance on both the front and back ends. That is what we delivered. This project was not only going to test our technical skills but also our team’s understanding of online business operations.
KLoc came up with a blueprint that would enable Flourish to pull off a complex marketplace operation using a single brand platform like Shopify.
We used default features and custom coding to accomplish the following:
KLoc also chose the right third party apps to solve tech challenges and scale the business
Managing content and assets
KLoc collaborated closely with the Flourish merchandising team to develop a complex matrix of custom fields and tags for product templates. This ensured all relevant information was captured for each product. KLoc’s in-house data team processed incoming linesheets from makers and integrated them into the Shopify store, handling the data and technology aspects of the marketplace. This enabled smooth bulk uploads of large selection of inventory on a regular basis.
Flourish needed a way to showcase entrepreneurs, artisans, and value-driven businesses. We suggested a blog approach that provided flexibility, scalability, and independence from the theme, allowing for future upgrades. Products of each maker were connected to their profile page, displaying focus areas and values based on tags. This streamlined maker onboarding and facilitated filtering by focus values.
We also supported the brand with newsletter creation, blog updates, and content management to help enhance customer engagement and retention.
Understanding the microservices that connect everything
Building a webstore in and of itself isn’t particularly challenging. It’s connecting the web store with all the other services that ensured smooth operations of the Flourish online business that was incredibly challenging.
Flourish’s global marketplace required addressing pricing and shipping challenges. We recommended a differential pricing strategy using a third-party app to display the right prices based on shipping costs, weight, and zones. The concept of shipping profiles was introduced to manage additional handling charges for certain product categories.
We connected the web store with various services like listing and inventory management, data handling for imagery and size charts, multicurrency support, and multi-country operations.
We also provided valuable inputs to improve website features such as bundling, frequently bought together recommendations, a shipping calculator, and gifting options.
The collaboration with KLoc resulted in the creation of a cross-border enabled marketplace that attracts a discerning audience interested in conscious consumption.
We also developed a second store, “Flourish USA” catering to the North American market on the back of the success behind the India store.
We are thrilled to have helped bring a meaningful project to life and in turn impact lives and livelihoods.
KLoc continues to innovate and add new features to help Flourish scale the business by upgrading the technology, adding the right apps and assisting the performance marketing team get the best out of the website.
The collaboration with KLoc resulted in a cross-border enabled marketplace
that attracts a discerning audience appreciating Flourish’s carefully curated merchandise. In a year Flourish’s:
Customer acquisition grew
Total Sales
Conversion Rate
Total orders tripled
