With locations in Wellington and Auckland, the stores have become beloved havens for book lovers across the country. Each store carries its unique atmosphere, with carefully curated selections that reflect the local community's tastes and preferences.

Each store operated independently, including online. This meant that customers shopping online were limited to the inventory of a single location, missing out on the rich diversity of offerings available across both Unity Books stores. The need for a unified online experience became clear—a platform that could bring together the collective inventory of over 30,000 books and the expert knowledge of Unity's booksellers.

Crafting the Solution

We began with a strategic planning phase, workshopping the user and business requirements with both stores, analysing the existing data structure from the in-store POS system (Ebility) helping us to design a robust solution architecture.

Starting with a technical design to create a custom pipeline syncing real-time inventory data from both stores, ensuring the online shop was always up to date. This system automatically merges and manages over 30,000 books, handling different pricing, availability and split location fulfilment. Additional logic was implemented to manage pre-orders and on-order items allowing customers to order books not yet in stock, extending Unity’s online offering. Integrating with Thorpe Bowker’s API-enriched product listings and automated new product creation connecting to Shopify.

A key element of the project was the decision to create a headless eCommerce platform. This approach allowed us to completely decouple the frontend from the backend, meaning there was no compromise on UX and UI. We were able to craft a unique brand experience that truly reflects the character and ethos of Unity Books while ensuring the underlying technology seamlessly supported all the required functionalities.

The Result: Record-Breaking Success

The launch of Unity Books’ new unified online platform has been met with unprecedented success. Not only has the platform created a seamless and consistent experience for customers, but it has also driven remarkable growth in online sales and engagement:

• Record Online Sales: Unity Books achieved its highest-ever monthly online sales following the launch. The momentum has continued to build, with store sessions up by 41%, total sales increasing by 46%, and total orders growing by 45% in just the second month after launch.
• Significant Growth for Unity Wellington: Online sales for Unity Wellington have soared, experiencing a 50% increase overall.
• Impressive Conversion Rates: The online store boasts an organic conversion rate of 51.52%.

A Word from Unity Books

Adrian Hardingham, Unity Books Wellington Manager, shared his thoughts on the new platform’s impact:

"We couldn’t be happier with the new site. The feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the ease of use and the breadth of our online catalog. We’ve been absolutely amazed by the site’s performance to date. The results have exceeded our expectations, and we’re thrilled to see such a strong response from our online community."

By bringing together the inventories and expertise of the Unity Books stores into a single platform, we created an online experience that mirrors the depth, personal touch, and literary richness of their physical stores. The new platform ensures that all book lovers can access the full range of Unity’s offerings, discovering new books and rediscovering old favourites, regardless of where they are in the country.

Unity Books has successfully brought its world-class bookstore experience into the digital age, offering a seamless, unified platform that continues to uphold its legacy of being a “world within a world” for book lovers across New Zealand.