[fwhorch]

Does anyone out there sell online and use RetailEdge?

We'd like to know how to solve these challenges:
1) Import online customer data into RetailEdge
2) Import online sales into RetailEdge
3) Export inventory levels from RetailEdge to our web store
4) Export pricing changes from RetailEdge to our web store
5) Flag items as discontinued in RetailEdge and on our web store

Since we started with a brick-and-mortar store and are adding a web store, we view RetailEdge as our primary data store. We have customer records, transaction history, inventory counts, cost and pricing, purchase orders, etc. all set up and going with RetailEdge. We'd like to keep using RetailEdge as our primary data store, but exchange data with our web store.

Do other people do things this way? What's the best way to use RetailEdge with an online store?

Thanks!
Fred

P.S. We originally thought we'd use OS Commerce, but decided instead to go with cs-cart (http://www.cs-cart.com/) for our web store.

[RetailEdge Moderator]

I know this coming from us again, but I wanted to make sure someone responded to you.

As we have indicated, we will be doing some sort of web commerce in the near future. However, it does have to meet our model of providing a more cost effective alternative to what is out there. This is why we have been considering integration to free web carts like OS Commerce.

Like yourself tthere are number of customers who already have web carts and need integration of some sort. This is why we created our API server application.

The API Server allows web programmers to talk to the RetailEdge data via XML requests and using HTTPS (SSL secure server). So if a customer wants to use their own cart and has the ability to create extensions for the cart, they will be able to do things like post sales, get inventory, real time inventory quantities, etc. When you have a new sale with a new customer and new items you would be able to post this information directly into RetailEdge. Pricing can also be updated by uploading inventory information to the website.

The API server is a service that will run on one of your stores computers. The API server then "listens" for requests from your website. When it receives a request for information (like give me an quantity for item ABC), then it sends an XML response to the website and and the website can then display this information.

In order to do this, you would have to have a fixed IP at your store (so that the website knows where to send the requests for information) or setup some sort of Dynamic DNS server sytem that would allow your website to get the current IP of your store.

This is really a programming tool and not for an unsophisticated end user. If you would like a copy of the API documentation just e-mail us at [email protected].

On points 3, 4 and 5 (inventory management and uploads) a simpler solution that many customers have been using is to simply use the existing RetailEdge inventory export function to upload the current inventory quantities, pricing, changes to their webcart on a nightly basis. The process for doing this would be to:

1. Export your inventory as a CSV file. The export can be filtered for many different criteria. For instance you can put a filter on the department, vendor, class, export/report code and all of the user fields. So you could put a W in the Export/Report code to filter the export to the website. You could then put a D for discontinued and include this in a filter.
2. Upload this CSV file to the website. Most carts have the ability to do this right out of the box.

This export would have quantities so although you would not have this functionality on the web, you might have enough information to put available or not available on your website. You could even program your cart to do something like display quantity - 3 if you wanted to have a buffer. You will have to determine the best way to manage this and determine what levels you need to set. Some items it might be Ok if you go below your actual inventory level because you can reorder in a couple of days or drop ship if you have to. Other items might have a 6-8 delivery time.

Even with real time inventory will still need to be managed at the store level. For instance, if I display on my website a quantity of 3 and someone puts it in their cart and purchases it and someone at the store picks up the same three items before you have entered the order (or before retailedge has processed it), are you going to tell the person in the store that they can't purchase the items?

[fwhorch]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for getting back to me. You wrote in part:

Like yourself there are number of customers who already have web carts and need integration of some sort. This is why we created our API server application.

The API Server allows web programmers to talk to the RetailEdge data via XML requests and using HTTPS (SSL secure server). So if a customer wants to use their own cart and has the ability to create extensions for the cart, they will be able to do things like post sales, get inventory, real time inventory quantities, etc. When you have a new sale with a new customer and new items you would be able to post this information directly into RetailEdge. Pricing can also be updated by uploading inventory information to the website.

The API server is a service that will run on one of your stores computers. The API server then "listens" for requests from your website. When it receives a request for information (like give me an quantity for item ABC), then it sends an XML response to the website and and the website can then display this information.

This sounds great. Is this already built in to Retail Edge or do you need to install another piece of software?

I will email for more details.

Even with real time inventory will still need to be managed at the store level. For instance, if I display on my website a quantity of 3 and someone puts it in their cart and purchases it and someone at the store picks up the same three items before you have entered the order (or before retailedge has processed it), are you going to tell the person in the store that they can't purchase the items?

I would be interested in your thoughts about the best way to manage inventory using Retail Edge with an online web cart. What policies do you recommend stores follow? What are the issues you are planning to help store owners solve?

I could imagine having a "web" location where we track inventory that is available for web purchases, and a separate "store" location for inventory available to store customers. We could transfer between locations as necessary, but we would avoid selling an item in the store that we thought was available to web customers.

We would love to be able to keep using Retail Edge; we just need to know how it will work as we grow the web side of our business.

Thanks & I look forward to seeing the details on the API.

Fred

[Jared]

Just checking to see if there are any updates to Retail Edge 8.1 and e-commerce integration in the near future? It has been quite a few months since this post was made and we are interested in doing the same thing as listed above, but we do now have 8.1 so is integration w/web sales coming any sooner?

Please let us know.

Thanks,
Jared
Insane Paintball

[RetailEdge Moderator]

We do have the API Server listed above that should do what you want. I will send you an e-mail with the documentation on the server.

[JaziCrafts]

Hi Bill
Could you send me the documentation for the on-line store interface...we use RE for our brick and mortar store and Volusion for our web solution. I would LOVE to be able to integrate some how so am interested in any solution you have.

Currently we use the export RE inventory and upload into our web every few days.

Thanks
Michelle
Jazi Crafts

We do have the API Server listed above that should do what you want. I will send you an e-mail with the documentation on the server.

[RetailEdge Moderator]

I will send you the API documentation today.

Hi Bill
Could you send me the documentation for the on-line store interface...we use RE for our brick and mortar store and Volusion for our web solution. I would LOVE to be able to integrate some how so am interested in any solution you have.

Currently we use the export RE inventory and upload into our web every few days.

Thanks
Michelle
Jazi Crafts

We do have the API Server listed above that should do what you want. I will send you an e-mail with the documentation on the server.

[gmanigault]

Can I get the API documentation also. I am looking to bring our store online soon. Thanks.

Gary M.

[email protected]

[brentonpierce]

I would love to recieve documentation on this as well. Our store uses retail edge, but we want to integrate this into our site as well. Please send the details on this api.

Cheers
Brenton Pierce

[RetailEdge Moderator]

We will send you the API server documentation today. Just to update everyone on the current status of RetailEdge linking with e-commerce sites, there are currently three levels of integration available for website integration.

1. The simplest as you can see above is really just to export your inventory from RetailEdge and manually upload this to your e-commerce site. When these files are uploaded they have quantity information that is typically put in an on-line database that the e-commerce site draws on to show product availability. The export would have to be done on some regular interval to get the information on the webstore site current. This would NOT do anything about taking orders/cutomer information from the site and putting them into RetailEdge, but this solution works well for the users that don't have a large quantity of webstore orders to process OR users that need to check their orders for accuracy often and so having an automatic dump into RetailEdge would be prone to having to unwind these sales when they were transferred.

2. The API server. This is works for RetailEdge users that have an existing website or don't want to change their website and have the technical expertise to work with the API server and manage their own website. There are a number of free e-commerce site builders in the market today and we wanted to offer something that would give users the flexibility to use whatever site they chose and at whatever price they could afford. The server can transfer customers and sales into RetailEdge and transfer real-time inventory quantities and items to the e-commerce site. This is being used typically where someone has a higher volume of sales and and needs the automation. It is also used where stores are keeping low inventory levels (more and more common) and can't afford to have the e-commerce site order more than what is available.

3. Integration with Modern Retail (www.modernretail.com). This is an integration that is almost complete (should be done in a couple of weeks) and works with Modern Retail's e-commerce solution. Our integration will be free. Modern Retail provides comprehensive design and SEO solutions, and links to shopping sites for e-commerce. This is a more comprehensive approach to e-commerce and we feel provides a good additional system and service for customers that have outgrown option 1 and don't have the time or inclination to do Option 2. We will be providing more information about this option and our integration with Modern Retail's e-commerce solution in the coming weeks.

I would love to recieve documentation on this as well. Our store uses retail edge, but we want to integrate this into our site as well. Please send the details on this api.

Cheers
Brenton Pierce

[JaziCrafts]

Did the Modern Retail integration get complete? I don't remember seeing anything on this but may have missed it.
Thanks
Michelle
Jazi Crafts

[RetailEdge Moderator]

The Modern Retail integration is complete. The utility will take inventory up to your Modern Retail site and will update pricing and quantity on a regular basis and take web order sales right into RetailEdge.

This solution may seem to be a bit of a departure for us since everything we do with RetailEdge is designed to provide our customers with the lowest cost option available. From our point of sale software to our credit card processing partners providing meet or beat rates to our maintenance and service plan options we have tried to design our system to not only save you money on the initial purchase but to save our customers money with on-going expenses.

On the surface Modern Retail is not the most inexpensive e-commerce solution going. There are systems out there that are free and some that cost only about $20/month with no upfront costs. But the old adage "You get what you pay for" especially applies to websites and e-commerce. Many of these solutions have:

1. Limited flexibility with the design and ability to manage the appearance of the site.

2. Back-end managers that are tough to use.

3. Limited support.

4. No marketing assistance and SEO is also limited.

We have seen too many times over the years customers put web-sites up and expect them to just perform. You need to treat your website like an extension of your brick and mortar store. Would you start your brick and mortar store and walk away and expected it to run itself?

This is where the Modern Retail solution comes in and starts paying for itself.

Here is what Modern Retail provides:

1. Only custom designed websites that look and feel like you want it to look and feel like; typically reflective of your brick and mortar store. They work closely with their clients to make sure they get a site they love.

2. They have our own, proprietary back-end; Store Manager which they thoroughly train their clients on, usually in 2-3 training sessions.

3. Store Manager has everything a client needs to manage the nuts & bolts of their day to day web site business; product management (Text & Image upload.); order fulfillment, including credit card processing and UPS label printing and tracking; coupon creation, email blasts, a ton or reports and more!

4. They are also happy to re-train our clients on any area of Store Manager and/or train new hires as needed. Sites can offer a ton of features, including:

* WordPress blogs that look like the site and allow shoppers move seamlessly between the shopping portion of the site and the blog.

* Shoppable lookbooks that are completely managed thru Store Manager; allowing clients to easily manage them and keep their sites updated and fresh.

* Alternate images are “standard”. Clients can add up to 12 alternate images per product. Store Manager’s powerful image processing system automatically resizes and optimizes images for fast and easy display on the site.

* SEO is part of their process; both in how they build the site and in what they suggest client’s write to enhance SEO.

* They offer 24/7 Support at no add’l charge to our clients. You can always reach a “live” body in Support.

* They offer on-going marketing assistance at no charge. Clients can meet with them to review strategies to market their site as often as they want.