Strawberry and Cream
Magento e-Commerce Design and Build
Custom Magento design and build for online boutique, Strawberry & Cream. Unique functionality developed for an interactive “rummage-like” thrift store shopping experience!
The Neon Hive has been with the Strawberry and Cream crew since the beginning. In time, the synergy between the two companies, not only in terms of working within the same small world of esoteric lifestyle and niche luxury goods but also, and most importantly, the similarity in ethics by which we trade (our goal, to defy perception), has seen that evolving grey line between client and agency dissipate entirely, the results of which being… www.strawberryandcream.com
Mission
Strawberry and Cream was established to meet the needs of niche brands emerging into the UK market and to develop unique and alternative retail environments in which to showcase these brands. The mission with strawberryandcream.com was to not only promote such brands but also to protect the work of many artisan craftsmen and designers; to ensure their small collections and one-off pieces are recognised for the passion and quality with which they were created.
Solution
We created an engaging and intriguing veritable retail wonderland – think thrift store with a dash of Dover Street Market. The most intriguing and luxurious junk shop… well, minus the junk but you know what we mean! Showcasing some of the most diverse and fascinating range of brands ever housed under the digital roof of an online boutique and a product offering that is uncompromised.
Visitors are welcomed with a quirky, stylish and fun site that is as colourful and unique as the diverse brands it represents. Showcased brands enjoy dedicated brand pages ensuring that not only is their story is told but also that they can enjoy greater exposure to collectors, fans and the press alike.
With the store based on the Magento framework, the S&C crew are free to edit content quickly, communicate and manage customers, sales and marketing and can rest easy knowing that they have a stable platform which will evolve and grow along with their business, in perfect harmony.
Utilising the Magento framework for its extensive features and strong default functionality, we fully customised the front end to emphasise the Strawberry and Cream identity and then built some very special custom features in the back end to support this.
Custom Features
Front End Merchandising
Aesthetically we wanted the boutique to appear (on the surface) as an eclectic, high end junk shop but in reality, we needed to carefully position each product within its relevant brand and department categories, showcased as though it were in a gallery. On a more sombre level, we needed to subtly ensure credibility, that it was not dismissed an actual junk shop. Merchandising akin to that of physical boutique window displays was required, considered product placement if you like.
We developed a bespoke merchandising function to enable specific product displays, outside of the typical ecommerce parameters. The custom built merchandising function specifically enables site administrators to override the standard Magento product placement (by date, name or number etc.) and as such, each sku can be displayed in a specific order and at multiple levels on the front end.
‘Ave a Rummage
One thing we felt missing from the vast majority of online shops is that emotional connection felt by physically rummaging around the shop’s stock, looking for an absolute “find” just like you would in your favourite high street store – or even in a thrift store.
The character of Strawberry and Cream really lent itself to this sentiment so we want to create a unique feature that enables the user to, quite simply, ‘Ave a Rummage. This fun “on-brand” tool randomly generates 6 items from the entire product catalogue to inspire, confuse or confound but definitely to provide a compelling user experience and reinforce the avant-garde attitude of the S&C crew.
And also…
By special request we, The Neon Hive, coaxed out of our underground hub by the S&C crew shed our usual covert operation attire (normal preference being to work incognito and the brands be in the spotlight), to curate the “Design Store” – an art and design department if you like. Our mission, to put together a collection of products comprising some of the best and most relevant products we could discover suited to creatives, although not limited to.
Check out the veritable retail wanderland: the latest designer’s “must-have” essentials, including UK exclusives like the Action Method product line by Behance, over in our Design Store at strawberryandcream.com!
Key Technologies
ZEND PHP, mySQL, jQuery (javascript), Apache (optimised for Magento), valid XHTML & CSS.
Initially launched to Beauty and Fashion Press in November 2008, Strawberry and Cream has enjoyed a wealth of press exposure, product placements and rave reviews in publications such as The Sunday Times Magazine, You Magazine, Easy Living, Elle Decoration and many more. The site continues to grow organically, several new features are currently in development and new ideas flourish ensuring Strawberry and Cream remains at the cutting edge of online retail.
If you are looking for a UK based Magento website design and development company, we’d love to hear from you.
