Cider In Love: Multi-vendor Ecommerce

Marketplace for Independent Cider Makers with Custom Payment, Shipping, and Regulatory Features.

Overview

Cider in Love is a unique marketplace platform designed to connect independent hard cider makers with consumers, allowing customers to explore and purchase fine heritage cider from various cideries through a unified shopping experience. Gigareef partnered with entrepreneur Annie B. to bring her vision to life, crafting a content-centric platform using WordPress and WooCommerce, layered with custom features tailored to the complexities of managing multiple vendors, alcohol shipping regulations, and seamless user interaction.

Project background

Annie B. envisioned an ecommerce platform where customers could purchase ciders from multiple independent cideries in a single cart experience, similar to Etsy’s marketplace model. The challenge was not only creating a user-friendly and dynamic platform but also ensuring that the cider makers (vendors) could independently manage their sales, shipping, and regulatory restrictions seamlessly. Additionally, Annie wanted the platform to integrate content with the products and be flexible enough for future updates.

Solution

Gigareef developed a highly customized platform, focusing on both functionality and scalability to meet Cider in Love's unique requirements. Key features include:

Stripe Connect for Payment Division

Each cidery signed up through Stripe Connect, allowing payments to be automatically divided during checkout. The platform handles payouts to the appropriate cideries while ensuring Cider in Love takes their commission, with all payments distributed directly to vendors' bank accounts.

Shipping Fulfillment Management with RocketShipIt

To streamline shipping logistics, we integrated RocketShipIt, an API that manages all shipping requirements. This enables cideries to handle their shipping efficiently while keeping the process centralized.

Purchase Restrictions Based on Zip Code

To manage the complex regulations around alcohol shipping across different states, we built a dashboard that allows the client to configure restrictions by state. The platform ensures compliance by preventing orders that exceed state-specific alcohol limits or other shipping constraints. This flexible setup allows Cider in Love to adjust rules easily as regulations change.

Custom Cider Rating System

We implemented a custom-built rating system using MySQL, allowing users to leave star ratings and comments on products. This feature helps build a community-driven feedback system, enhancing user engagement.

Dynamic Tax Report Generation

To handle alcohol-specific tax requirements, we created a custom tax reporting system built with React.js. The system reviews all orders and generates the necessary reports based on tax concerns related to alcohol shipping, offering the client an easy-to-use tool to stay compliant.

Technology

WordPress

WooCommerce

Stripe

Stripe Connect

RocketShipIt

React.js

MySQL

Mailgun

Pantheon

Outcomes

Cider in Love successfully bridges the gap between independent cideries and consumers, offering a robust and flexible platform that handles the complexities of multi-vendor ecommerce in the alcohol industry. With Stripe Connect for seamless payments, RocketShipIt for shipping logistics, and a flexible regulatory compliance system, Cider in Love is well-equipped for growth. By combining an intuitive user experience with powerful backend tools, Gigareef has ensured that Annie B.'s vision for the platform has been realized, empowering both the vendors and the end consumers.

More from Gigareef

See More Work