Project summary

John Sandoe Books Ltd, a renowned bookstore in Chelsea, required a website redesign and the entire book catalog to be made available online. The project involved:

  • A specialized eCommerce system was developed, featuring both a 'quote' request option and bespoke functionality for sorting and searching.
  • Collaboration with the bookstore’s design and branding specialist ensured the implementation of custom designs across the site.
  • Assisting in the procurement of a dedicated hosting platform.
As the launch neared, a bulk upload solution was created and used to add over 20,000 products to the site. Additionally, ongoing systems and processes were established for the seamless addition of new catalogues.
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The client and requirments

John Sandoe Books Ltd, a renowned bookstore in Chelsea. One of London’s foremost and best-loved bookshops, they offer a thoughtful and enticing selection of new books across the humanities, and a range of services that includes quarterly catalogues, mail order, subscriptions and private libraries.

Their existing website no longer met John Sandoes needs and they decided they needed a total re-design and re-build and would also like to put their entire catalouge online.

The project

  • The project began with a detailed analysis to understand requirements and explore strategies for implementing ideas from the in-house design specialist
  • Due to the significant scale of the new site and the large volume of products (over 20,000), it was determined that dedicated hosting would be essential. A thorough process was followed to select, procure, and set up a dedicated hosting platform with GoDaddy.
  • Collaborating closely with the design specialist, pages were implemented in WordPress, including product listings, individual product pages, the cart, and checkout functionalities.
  • The bookstore does not manage stock levels online. Instead, it uses a “quote request” system where customers select books of interest, and the system and staff prepare a quote, which the customer then pays online. A specialized plugin was set up, customized, and seamlessly integrated with the eCommerce system for this purpose.
  • Custom sorting and filtering options by product tag were deemed necessary. Since no suitable plugin was available, a specialist developer was hired to create this functionality. This developer also worked on additional custom features, such as a customized carousel.
  • The bookstore uses offline databases provided by book distributors, which were initially incompatible with the website. A specialist developer was engaged to re-build part of this system, enabling the management of seasonal catalogues and creating an export format for bulk uploads to the website. Plugins and processes were implemented, allowing bookstore staff to manage this process independently.
  • The site and systems are regularly supported with ongoing work, including a recent migration to a new server at GoDaddy.

It’s been a pleasure to work with Samsara for several years now: reliable, friendly, knowledgeable and responsive. Great at trouble-shooting and maintenance too.

Samsara transformed our in-house design ideas into a functional and well-supported website

Arabella Friesen, John Sandoe Books Ltd