Plaisio modernizes B2C platform and grows 22%

Who is Plaisio?

Plaisio is the market leader in Greece and Bulgaria for consumer electronics, gaming, mobile devices, office supplies, and photo and computer equipment. With 50 million visitors annually, they possess a substantial customer base. Customers are assisted by 1,500 employees in 27 branches, and online via the Plaisio webshop.

Our partnership began in 2017 and grew into a strategic collaboration in which we provide structural input regarding functionality, technology, and integration with Plaisio's other systems. Thanks to this strong bond of trust, we have since renewed the entire e-commerce platform, encompassing both B2C and B2B.

A platform without limitations

The technology behind Plaisio’s previous B2C webshop -Sitecore- reached end-of-life, making a new solution necessary. After years of growth on the Sitecore platform, Plaisio was growing faster than the existing technology could handle.

Plaisio placed high demands on the replacement platform. It had to enable them to:

1. Process 21 million page requests per month, with a peak load of 200 thousand per hour,

2. Calculate personal prices within 100 milliseconds,

3. Process product updates within 5 minutes,

4. To process a customer order within 1 second,

5. To replace or add services,

6. Easy to maintain,

7. To work less on maintenance and more on adding new features.

In a market where competition is extremely high, milliseconds and minimal downtime make all the difference. When a competitor lowers prices, Plaisio must be able to respond immediately. Speed, flexibility, and scalability were therefore not a luxury, but a necessity.

Based on these ambitions, one thing became clear: Plaisio needed a Composable Commerce platform that combines maximum agility with performance.

Our Composable full-service approach: every aspect thought out

Normally, we follow a strict 5-phase process to develop a Composable platform. In this case, however, things were slightly different: we had already developed the Composable platform for the previously developed B2B webshop. During the development of this platform, we immediately took the upcoming B2C webshop into account.

The result: significant cost savings, a shorter lead time, and a single, uniform platform.

Because this B2C webshop is an extension of the existing platform, we were able to review Plaisio’s requirements and realize various Proof of Concepts within three months.

By collaborating with the MACH-certified Contentstack, Constructor, Cloudinary, commercetools, Vercel, Contact Pigeon, and Talon.One, we laid a strong and future-proof foundation. Thanks to intensive collaboration involving weekly coordination, short lines of communication, and joint sessions regarding technical issues, we ensured that all components aligned seamlessly.

A good start is half the battle.

We didn't just jump straight into work, but divided the project into different phases, prioritized by impact and effort. For each phase, there was complete clarity regarding the requirements, implementation, and testing approach, both from our side and from Plaisio.

Our approach is always a living process. By continuously evaluating and applying lessons learned from previous projects, we refined the process where necessary. Within this project as well, this working method ensured that the platform continued to function exactly as intended.

Newly added: smarter & more user-friendly

We built a large part of the Composable platform for the earlier launch of Plaisio’s B2B webshop. For B2C customers, we have now added various smart features to enhance the customer experience:

1. A new registration and verification flow where customers can create an account themselves and go through email verification to activate their account.

2. An anonymous checkout option, so that a customer does not need to create an account to buy a product.

3. The possibility to subscribe to newsletters.

4. The option to manage contact preferences, so that a customer can decide for themselves in which channels they receive updates.

5. The ability to provide product recommendations to customers, to provide a personalized experience.

Thanks to the new features in the B2C platform, customers have more control over their own experience, and the personal experience is enhanced.

Recommended products enhance a personalized customer experience.

Managed Services stays involved.

As a Managed Service provider, we remain involved with the solutions we develop. During this phase, we continuously optimize and develop the platform.

In a short time, we have already added various functionalities. For instance, customers can now apply discount codes, pick up online orders in physical lockers, and compare products within the Plaisio platform.

We will also remain closely involved as a partner in the coming period. We optimize performance, add new functionalities, and ensure that Plaisio has a future-proof and powerful platform.

By comparing products, you always make the right choice.