Integrated Multi-Store E-Commerce Platform with Unified Inventory and Multi-Channel Support

The client manages multiple online retail websites with identical product catalogues but separate inventory data, leading to inconsistent stock visibility and customer frustration. Existing systems lacked support for multi-store inventory management, resulting in products being incorrectly assigned, difficulty in directing customers to available stock, and inefficient order processing. Additionally, products like certain large or specialty items require in-store pickup rather than delivery, complicating the checkout process.

A retail chain operating multiple online storefronts for specialized product categories, aiming to provide seamless inventory management and customer experience across stores.

• Enable seamless display and synchronization of product inventories across multiple online stores.
• Implement real-time inventory status updates and cross-store product availability messaging to improve user experience.
• Support flexible order fulfillment options, including shipping for shippable products and 'Click and Collect' for in-store pickup items.
• Optimize checkout flow for speed, simplicity, and secure payment processing.
• Reduce website CPU usage and server load through optimized synchronization and cron job management.
• Incorporate multi-store banner management, security patches, and custom modules for backend flexibility.

• Unified inventory system that aggregates stock levels from multiple websites and displays accurate availability statuses.
• Product listing pages with filtering, grid/list views, recent viewed items, and hover-over availability indicators that link to alternate store pages if out of stock.
• Clear messaging indicating if a product is available at one or both stores, with direct links to purchase or view details at the respective store.
• Support for different order fulfillment options based on product type, including 'Click and Collect' for store pickup and shipping for shippable items, with clear cost interface.
• Streamlined checkout process allowing guest or registered user payments via credit/debit card and PayPal, with shipping cost transparency.
• Backend modules for banner management, hours of operation, and location maps that support multi-store configurations.
• Custom extensions to enable product configurability, PDF uploads per product, and automatic re-enabling of products when back in stock.
• Performance optimization, including reduction of CPU usage via optimized product sync, stock updates, and scheduled cron jobs.

• POS system integration for real-time inventory data and product updates
• Payment gateways such as PayPal, credit, and debit card processors
• Mapping and location services for store addresses
• Third-party modules for configurable products and PDF attachments

• System must support concurrent traffic growth with scalable architecture.
• Real-time inventory synchronization with minimal latency.
• Secure handling of customer data and payment information, complying with applicable standards.
• High availability and uptime with optimized server resources, targeting low CPU usage.
• Ease of content management for banners, hours, and location info via backend modules.

The implementation of a unified multi-store eCommerce solution will significantly improve inventory accuracy, reduce customer frustration, and streamline order processing. This will lead to increased customer satisfaction and higher conversion rates. Optimizing backend processes and reducing server load is expected to lower operational costs and improve site stability. Overall, the project aims to enhance sales performance, enable flexible fulfillment options, and support scalable growth for the retail client.