Most e-commerce websites are designed to function as one store that serves all of the consumers’ needs. While this approach is straightforward, it restricts the opportunity for a tailored experience for different customer groups or locales.
BigCommerce, the leading open SaaS platform on the market, recently debuted its Multi-Storefront technology, helping e-commerce sellers expand their business reach by managing multi-region, multi-segment, or multi-brand sites through a single login.
With the introduction of BigCommerce Multi-Storefront, merchants can customize the look, feel, pricing, and navigation of different shopping experiences to support multiple brands or sales goals.
Read on to learn more about Multi-Storefront for BigCommerce and if it’s the right strategy for your online business.
What Does “Multi-Storefront” Mean Exactly?
Multi-Storefront (MSF) refers to an e-commerce platform that houses multiple “channels” as individual stores while serving them all through a single login and admin panel. With MSF technology, merchants can use a single BigCommerce “store” to power multiple “storefronts.”
MSF enables online sellers to maintain one store and product catalog to leverage unique, customer-facing storefronts for different brands or markets. This works especially well for businesses that have multiple brands under the same umbrella, such as a retail chain operating in different countries or a company with different divisions.
Key Features of BigCommerce Multi-Storefront
MSF technology introduces several impactful new features, enabling BigCommerce merchants to:
- Create and manage multiple storefronts through a single BigCommerce admin panel.
- Connect domain names and SSL certificates for each storefront.
- Customize themes, page templates, widgets, and web pages.
- Manage multiple locales, brands, or product categories.
- Integrate additional sales channels, such as Amazon, eBay, and in-person POS (point-of-sale) systems.
- Accommodate multiple languages and currencies.
- Segment customer groups (e.g. retail/wholesale) and manage login access for each.
- View and manage orders and customers for multiple storefronts in one place.
How Can I Leverage Multi-Storefront Technology for My Online Business?
MSF features present merchants with many opportunities to expand and strengthen their online business, helping them:
- Grow into new markets and provide a unique shopping experience for each.
- Streamline operations by managing different business lines from one backend.
- Manage multiple business models (e.g. B2B or B2C) through a single platform.
- Centralize product management, inventory, and order fulfillment.
- Improve online marketing strategies by tailoring to distinct geographic regions or customer segments.
For instance, you might have multiple brands you’d like to manage on the same BigCommerce account—say one brand specializes in automotive components for car dealerships while the other sells parts direct to consumers—but both brands share the same inventory database or customer list to benefit from cross-selling opportunities.
Multi-Storefront technology may also appeal to international brands that want to reach new audiences or serve customers in different countries and languages. For example, Apple offers localized versions of its website (such as www.apple.com/au) for customers around the world.
Requirements for Enabling BigCommerce Multi-Storefront
If your BigCommerce store was created after March 28, 2022, it has the necessary features and is MSF-ready. Merchants who created a BigCommerce store before March 28, 2022 will need to confirm or update store features before enabling new storefronts.
When you attempt to create a new storefront in BigCommerce, you will see a checklist detailing each requirement. After you’ve confirmed or updated each requirement, you’ll be able to request storefront “seats” and create new storefront channels.
Before MSF is enabled, you’ll need to ensure your store has the following updates:
- Is using the Optimized One-Page Checkout.
- Is built on a Stencil theme; legacy Blueprint themes are not supported.
- Has the v3 Add/Edit Product and the v3 Product Import/Export experiences enabled.
- Is using the latest version of the product list.
- Is using MSF 301 Redirects.
- Has Transactional Email Templates and Abandoned Cart Saver email templates enabled.
Takeaways for E-commerce Sellers
BigCommerce Multi-Storefront is a game-changing technology that allows merchants with multiple brands or products to expand their business reach—all from a single login. Whether growing sales in new regions, streamlining operations for multiple brands, or tailoring offerings for different customer segments, merchants can seamlessly manage every aspect of their business from one dashboard, delivering exceptional customer experiences that build brand loyalty.
If you have questions about multi-storefront capabilities, requirements for getting started, or how your online business can benefit, contact our BigCommerce experts here, or give us a call at 866-901-4650 today.
