Streamlining Order Placement for Store-Specific Fulfillment
A nationwide retailer with 60+ physical stores and an eCommerce presence struggled with complex order fulfillment due to Magento’s Multi-Source Inventory sourcing products from multiple, distant locations. This resulted in logistical delays and challenges in providing accurate, timely order status updates to customers.
Problem
Our client, a retail business with over 60 physical stores across the country and an eCommerce store, faced challenges in order fulfillment. Using Magento’s Multi-Source Inventory (MSI) feature to manage shared inventory across physical and online stores, they encountered issues when fulfilling orders.
MSI allowed prioritizing inventory fulfillment from specific stores, but in certain scenarios, orders included items sourced from multiple stores, some located far apart. This created logistical challenges, delays, and difficulties in updating customers on order statuses.
Client Requirement
To resolve these fulfillment issues, the client proposed transitioning their eCommerce platform to store-specific order placement. This change aimed to ensure inventory allocation and fulfillment from a single store, improving efficiency and customer experience.
Solutions
After analyzing the client’s request, we devised a systematic, step-by-step solution to address the issue while enhancing the shopping experience.
Key features implemented
Customers could select their preferred shipping method and nearby fulfilment store upfront, with real-time store-based inventory visibility reflected across product pages and the cart. The experience remained flexible until checkout, dynamically adjusting availability and cart items, while locking the final selection at checkout to ensure smooth and predictable order fulfilment.
Shipping Method Selection
Customers were prompted to choose their preferred shipping method upfront:
Home Delivery(OR)
Click-and-Collect (In-Store Pickup)
Location Identification
Customers were asked to enter their postal code or enable location sharing through the browser.
Store Selection
Based on the customer’s location, we displayed a list of eligible stores for the selected shipping method.
Stores were sorted by proximity, with the nearest store appearing at the top.
Customers could select the most convenient store for order fulfilment.
Product Availability Based on Store
Once a store was selected, its inventory was linked to the product detail page (PDP). Customers could view the availability of products specifically at the chosen store when adding items to their cart.
Handling Existing Carts
For customers returning to add products or place an order later, the previously selected store location was applied by default.
Any items that were no longer in stock at the selected store were automatically removed from the cart, with clear messaging provided to the customer.
Flexibility Before Checkout
Customers could change the selected store or shipping method at any point before proceeding to checkout.
The cart dynamically updated to reflect the changes, with appropriate notifications about inventory or shipping adjustments.
Checkout Finalization
On reaching the checkout page, the chosen shipping method was locked to ensure consistency in the fulfilment process.
Customers were restricted from changing the shipping method at checkout, ensuring streamlined order processing.
