During the first lockdown in 2020, Planet Organic’s existing ecommerce infrastructure struggled to cope with a surge in online demand, forcing the company to pause online orders. This was frustrating for the team who had worked hard to gain market share over the years. Meanwhile, rival supermarkets thrived as customers shifted their spending online.

With a second lockdown looming, Planet Organic urgently needed:

1. A reliable short-term solution to handle growing online traffic.
2. A long-term technology partner to future-proof their ecommerce capabilities.

The goal was clear: deliver a smooth online shopping experience, meet increasing customer demand, and keep the business thriving in the absence of in-store trading.

To deliver a solution at speed, Shopify Plus was chosen as the foundation platform for its flexibility, scalability, robust security, and proven reliability under high traffic.

But the transformation didn’t stop there. Gradient Edge built a custom order management system (OMS) to streamline fulfilment and picking processes, significantly improving operational efficiency. This bespoke system ensured Planet Organic could handle orders quickly and accurately, even during peak demand periods.

To support data and enterprise integration, the team also implemented an event-based data system on AWS. This allowed seamless integrations with stock, product data, and Planet Organic’s ERP system.

The new platform brought together:

• A modern, cloud-based architecture,
• A user-friendly Content Management System (CMS),
• Enterprise-level promotion handling, and
• An updated suite of marketing tools to drive growth and customer retention.

By combining technical expertise with collaboration across design, marketing, and strategy teams, Gradient Edge delivered a future-ready ecommerce platform.

Planet Organic’s new ecommerce website launched smoothly, meeting an ambitious 12-week timeline - just in time for Black Friday.

Key highlights include:

• Record-breaking performance: The site processed its highest-ever volume of online orders within the first month after launch.
• Operational efficiency: The custom OMS and colleague app revolutionized order fulfilment and picking processes.
• Seamless integrations: Stock and product data now flow effortlessly through Planet Organic’s ERP system.

The project not only delivered immediate success but also positioned Planet Organic for long-term growth.

This project was recognized at the 2021 DXA International Digital Experience Awards, where it won ‘Best Digital Transformation’. The award celebrated the project’s success in meeting strategic goals, innovation, impact, and execution—all while staying on time and within budget.

By partnering with Gradient Edge and leveraging Shopify Plus, Planet Organic turned a challenging period into an opportunity for growth. Their new, future-proof ecommerce platform has allowed them to better serve customers, improve operations, and drive record-breaking results—keeping it fresh every step of the way.

Services

• Enterprise Architecture
• Business Consulting/Analysis
• Project Management
• Dev/CloudOps
• Full Stack Development
• Multiple Vendor Selection & Management
• Digital Transformation
• Product & Managed Service
• Enterprise Data Strategy
• Insights & Machine Learning