Modernization of Onlineshops with Shopware 6

VILLIGER SÖHNE AG is one of the leading manufacturers of cigars and cigarillos with an impressive annual production capacity of over one billion units and about 1,500 employees. VILLIGER SÖHNE AG's main markets are Switzerland, Germany, France and the USA.
The previous Onlineshop was based on an outdated version of Shopware and no longer met the modern requirements and flexibility that VILLIGER SÖHNE AG is aiming for in its future Onlineshops. We had the privilege of implementing this upgrade to Shopware 6 for VILLIGER SÖHNE AG, marking one of many modernization projects to come.

Integrated Multi-Shop System for VILLIGER SÖHNE AG and The World of Cigars

One of VILLIGER SÖHNE AG's unique characteristics is that it operates not only its own onlineshop but also the one for The World of Cigars, their Flagship Store. This Store offers not only VILLIGER SÖHNE AG's own brand but also a wide range of other brands, both through its independent onlineshop and in its physical retail store in Bern.

To meet the needs of both businesses, their shop content had to be centrally managed in a single system and flexibly adapted by the internal marketing team. A solution was implemented using Shopware 6 as a multi-shop system. The integrated content management system (CMS) in Shopware allows precise control over which storefront displays specific content. This enables content to be tailored to the specific requirements of each shop while ensuring consistent management across the entire organization.

Centralized Product Data Management with Drupal Headless as PIM

To manage approximately 200 products, Drupal is now used as the Product Information Management (PIM) system. Through an API integration with Shopware 6, product data is seamlessly retrieved from Drupal, imported into the Shopware system, and displayed in the corresponding frontend. This integration ensures centralized and efficient data maintenance, providing consistent product information across all onlineshops.

Collaboration for Design and Functionality

The design of the two newly revamped webshops was created in collaboration with our partner, Salted. For our mutual client VILLIGER SÖHNE AG, an elegant, minimalist design with intuitive navigation and filtering options was a top priority. The design also emphasizes an aesthetic and premium presentation of their products. Dominated by black, white, and gold, the design underscores the luxury character of the brand.

SAP Integration for Seamless Order Processing

Through an interface between Shopware and the SAP ERP system of VILLIGER SÖHNE AG's logistics partner, orders are transmitted in real-time and automatically for further processing.

Marketing Automation with HubSpot CRM

VILLIGER SÖHNE AG has relied on the marketing automation CRM HubSpot for several years. In the new onlineshop, abandoned carts or incomplete checkouts are not left untouched but leveraged to guide customers toward purchase through marketing automation. This was achieved through an interface connecting the onlineshop with HubSpot CRM. All customer data, including carts and other information, is synchronized between the shop and CRM and can be utilized for future marketing campaigns.

Agile Methodology with Scrum

This project was also managed using an agile approach with the Scrum methodology. Close collaboration among all team members and regular updates allowed for quick responses to changing requirements.

E-Commerce in the Cloud

The hosting of the new e-commerce platform is handled through the Digital Ocean Cloud, where all applications are deployed within Docker containers. A fully automated CI/CD process ensures secure and reliable deployments and releases.