Ocarat: the winning bet on tech ownership

PrestaShop was present on May 20-21 at the Future of Commerce & Consumers event organized by the Hub Institute in Paris. On top of being an opportunity for visitors to explore the latest retail trends and hear inspiring stories, it was also a chance for them to meet Grégory Pairin, founding CEO of Ocarat, a pure player specialized in jewelry, who shared bold insights during a Masterclass.

Here’s a look at the tech choices of an ecommerce merchant who has relied on open source for 15 years to stand out.

A pioneer in online jewelry

Founded in 2010, Ocarat quickly established itself in what was then an almost non-existent online market: mid-range jewelry. Today, the site offers a catalog of over 30,000 products, 120,000 SKUs, 7,000 customers per month, and €20 million in annual revenue. This performance is driven by a loyal audience of 550,000 unique visitors.

Ocarat’s success is built on a strategy rooted in mastery from day one. Mastery of SEO, development, customer service, logistics, and more. “At Ocarat, we’re doers,” summarizes Grégory Pairin. Early on, the team decided to build its own tool and own it entirely. This positioning now allows them to capitalize on proprietary developments, the result of continuous R&D, to boost their competitive performance.

A deliberate tech choice: performance and freedom

This commitment to independence was supported from the start by PrestaShop, an open-source solution that evolves with the business while giving it full control over its technical environment.

“PrestaShop gives us total autonomy. We adapt the platform to our needs, we keep control over our code and data. We would never have had this freedom with a SaaS solution.” Grégory Pairin, CEO of Ocarat

The clearest example? GEO, or “Generative Engine Optimization,” an emerging discipline aimed at optimizing content for large language models (LLMs) used by AI. A new approach to SEO that Ocarat’s team is already actively exploring: server log analysis, managing crawl frequency, testing responses, and rewriting content based on these new algorithmic logics.

“For us, GEO is what SEO was in 2010: a key visibility lever. But to do R&D, you need full access to your infrastructure. That level of openness is only possible with an open-source solution.”

A scalable solution for a scalable business

Adaptability is at the core of Ocarat’s tech strategy. Thanks to PrestaShop, the site has supported its growth without ever changing platforms, optimizing its infrastructure as it scaled.

“We start small and scale progressively. Every two years, we revisit our architecture. This lets us control costs and avoid imposed price increases.”

To handle its continuously growing catalog, Ocarat relies exclusively on PrestaShop and uses Store Commander to manage mass updates to product listings. This solution covers all operational needs while allowing the freedom to connect to other market tools (PIM, ERP, CRM) if needed.

A strong community and rich ecosystem

In an increasingly competitive environment, where technological innovation constantly changes the game, Ocarat values the PrestaShop ecosystem. This was a key factor when launching the project.

Partner agencies, specialized developers, forums, merchant events… the open-source community provides fertile ground for sharing best practices and insights.

“PrestaShop events are real merchant meetups. We openly discuss acquisition costs, logistics strategies, and best practices. That level of transparency and mutual support is rare in ecommerce.”

Thinking long term from the start

Grégory Pairin emphasizes a key message for all aspiring merchants: don’t limit yourself to your launch needs – believe in your vision.

“You have to project yourself. What will your catalog look like in three years? Your acquisition channels? Your performance challenges? An ecommerce solution shouldn’t just be chosen for today, but for tomorrow.”

By owning its site and developments, Ocarat maintains a decisive competitive advantage. And while they recently underwent a rebranding, there’s no plan to change their technological foundation.

In conclusion

Ocarat’s journey highlights three convictions shared by many merchants:

• Own your tech to optimize it better
• Build scalable architecture to grow smart
• Rely on an engaged ecosystem so you’re never alone

Even though online jewelry has its own specifics, Ocarat’s choices reflect challenges faced by all ecommerce businesses: standing out, anticipating, and innovating.

To go further, download our white paper on TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), a key metric to measure the real impact of your tech decisions on business profitability.