How the Synalia Group got a brand new look for its online sales

The cooperative group of jewelers and watchmakers that oversees the brands Julien d'Orcel, Guilde des Orfèvres and Montres and Co recently chose PrestaShop to redesign its three ecommerce sites. From the stakes to the results as well as the expectations, we take stock with three experts who took part in the project.

Three stores for a single administration space 

If the PrestaShop & Synalia project was initially challenging, it is partly because of the context. Indeed, Synalia, the French jewelry and watchmaking group that includes Julien d'Orcel, Guilde des Orfèvres and Montres and Co brands, i.e. more than 370 sales outlets in France and 200 associates for a total turnover of 250 million euros, has understood the importance of digital channels in the era of the global pandemic and wanted to double the effort on the ecommerce side by adding certain features such as express click and collect or click-and-reserve. That's why the group wanted to redesign its three websites and set up a unified commerce system to link the physical network of each brand to each of their websites.

But the stakes were high: connecting the inventory of 240 physical stores, redesigning three websites of three different brands by pooling resources and technologies and launching at the same time an order orchestration system to create unity and fluidity in today’s customer journey. The redesign of the websites and the integration with the inventory management system is based on a single, simple, current and cost-efficient technology.

Sophie Gellie, Information Systems Director at Synalia, explains that the group had set the bar very high in terms of expectations,: "Initially, we had only experimented with Magento. But the platform was too heavy for us, which did not enable the creation of a unified and seamless ecommerce. Matthias Bonnardel, from the Celaneo agency, suggested PrestaShop. We hesitated at first because of the contradictory opinions about the platform but then several reasons led us to jump in. For example, PrestaShop had the ability to be interfaced with our CRM system and loyalty program. This allowed us to make the physical stores and our online store meet so that the benefits and membership of our customers' loyalty program are accessible to everyone both in store and on the new websites of each of our brands.

Until then, many things were only valid in store or on the Internet, and click and collect was managed in a manual and time-consuming way. Redesigning our websites has helped us simplify and fluidify all of these topics, both for our customers and teams. (Sophie Gellie, Information Systems Director at Synalia)

PrestaShop's reputation for being an ergonomic platform was among the arguments that weighed in the balance. This is one of the reasons why Mathieu Rucheton, ecommerce manager who joined the project along the way, chose to join Synalia: "Using PrestaShop was what attracted me to applying for the ecommerce manager position within the Group. I knew that I wouldn't be embarking on a project that would be a headache to manage and that my teams would be able to quickly take control of the platform.”

The fact that PrestaShop is a French platform was also another strong argument for Synalia: "It was an important aspect, which fits with the philosophy of the Group. At Synalia, we like to favor French technologies, it's an integral part of the company's DNA," says Mathieu Rucheton.

"With PrestaShop, every problem has a solution". 

The result will surprise no one: the transition of the three ecommerce sites of the Synalia group to PrestaShop has been a great success to date. Indeed, the platform was able to meet the main demands of the customer, namely: three websites at the forefront of trends, a multi-store platform which is easy to use and intuitive.

Among PrestaShop’s strengths, the ergonomics, the accessibility, the intuitive and user-friendly design, the fluidity and lightness of the platform are automatically cited. "We did not find these elements with Magento, which I find austere, and difficult to handle. Each development was heavy and we sometimes found ourselves in dead ends without being able to progress. With PrestaShop, each of our problems has its solution. Moreover, we can synchronize our Akeneo PIM (Product Information Management) almost in real time, which has changed our life because it saved us a lot of time. This allows us to be much more reactive in the management of our product catalog", says Sophie Gellie.

A complex ergonomic solution with a very good price-performance ratio

Even if PrestaShop is an intuitive and easy-to-use platform, it requires more or less support depending on the experience of the companies that want to use it. This is what Matthias Bonnardel from Celaneo, who managed the project, noticed: "PrestaShop is a solution that can be customized according to your needs. For small companies that do not have a budget or experience in ecommerce, we recommend that they get help from a partner agency that can guide them in the realization of the project. However, it remains a tool with a very good quality-price ratio for VSBs and SMBs that want a sustainable solution.

Click & collect is growing by more than 50% (Cédric de Bretagne, ecommerce director at Synalia)

Currently, Synalia has put two of the three websites online. Next step: the migration of the site Montresandco.com. One thing is sure: for PrestaShop, we can say that it is a successful mission! "The customer benefits are real and concrete. The customer journey is seamless and loyalty offers are now valid both online and in store. Another advantage: unified commerce is made easy. Click & collect has grown by more than 50%," says Cédric de Bretagne, ecommerce director at Synalia.