English
GrandVision Embraces Digital Future With Bloomreach and commercetools
GrandVision is a leading global optical retailer with more than 7,200 stores worldwide and a growing online presence. It offers customers expert eye care services along with a large selection of unique and stylish prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and other eye care products. Stores operate under well-known local retail brands, some of which have a history dating back more than 100 years.
GrandVision understands the importance of having a clear vision of what’s ahead. A global leader in optical retailing, its established brands like Vision Express, Pearle, Eye Wish, Apollo-Optik, Synoptik, and GrandOptical help millions of customers see more clearly every day.
The Challenge
While GrandVision might be best known for its 7,000+ brick-and-mortar stores, it is obvious to see that a great digital experience will play a larger role in the company’s success moving forward. This includes both digital commerce and the omnichannel effect of digital strategies influencing in-person sales.
GrandVision conducted deep research into the journey of their customers to determine pain points and unmet needs. The company identified what was needed to enable a unique and creative customer experience for each brand using a single underlying tech stack.
One significant criteria that stood out was the need for a front-end customer experience layer that is decoupled from the business logic layer. This would allow GrandVision to give its 30+ brands across 40+ countries the freedom to create their own identity while keeping the back end consistent for easy maintenance and scaling.
GrandVision represents the type of innovative retailer that will thrive globally by meshing online and offline customer journeys, including future channels such as virtual assistants or social selling. That fits exactly with our post-web DNA. We are thrilled to help this dynamic company to handle its transactions in all 44 countries it’s active in — with just one commerce platform.
Dirk Hoerig
The Solution
GrandVision determined it was looking for four key elements with its new tech stack:
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A cloud environment where the underlying engine remains the same for every brand, while the top layer changes.
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A decoupling of back-end logic and front-end design so each brand has the freedom to create a unique identity.
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An API-based platform with best-of-breed code and API libraries to fit its innovative open approach and drive scalability.
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An intuitive interface that gives marketing and ecommerce teams the keys to brand experience creation with the least possible dependence on IT.
With its critical criteria in mind, GrandVision chose a combination of the Bloomreach Commerce Experience Cloud and the commercetools “headless commerce” platform to power the central engine of its digital channels.
GrandVision uses Bloomreach Content to make it easy for customers to shop online from the comfort of their own homes. It can now offer a digital shopping experience that is consistent with the one it offers in its brick-and-mortar stores.
Additionally, the headless commerce platform from commercetools gives GrandVision limitless commerce possibilities. It allows the company to develop a highly functional and visually appealing customer experience that is on brand.
GrandVision now powers its global presence with Bloomreach and commercetools, and consistently offers a digital experience that is unique to each brand and meets customers at every step along the way of their journey.
