Solstice taps Demandware for e-commerce platform

Woburn, Mass. - Demandware on Monday announced that sunglass specialty retailer Solstice is taking its first step into the ecommerce arena by announcing the launch of its new online retail store www.solsticesunglasses.com built on the Demandware Commerce platform.

The new site mirrors the company’s upscale store design, combining clean sophisticated lines with the brands’ seasonal advertising campaigns. It offers more than 40 luxury, designer and sport sunglass brands, with easy-to-navigate search options designed to make shopping easier.

“We needed an ecommerce platform that would mirror our dedication to providing a unique, tailored shopping experience and that was scalable to the broad range of inventory we offer to our customers,” said Rick Talmage, chief operating officer for Solstice. “The Demandware platform enabled us to meet the needs of our customers as well as the demands of our luxury partners. Demandware is the platform that will grow with us while at the same time support our increased marketing initiatives.”

The new site will be integrated with many of the top social networking sites. Customers will not only be able to send detailed product information and photos from the online store to their mobile devices using the latest mobile shopping technology, they will also be able to share information and photos with others using advanced social networking tools. Combining ecommerce with social networking allows for instant uploading of favorite picks on Facebook, sharing new styles on Twitter, or sending a few selections via email.

In addition, select Solstice stores will offer customers the unique opportunity to interact with www.solsticesunglasses.com while in store using touch-screen kiosks. The feature allows further browsing through the entire virtual inventory available while providing detailed product information.

Solstice used the Demandware SiteGenesis storefront application as the foundation for its new ecommerce site. The solution includes best practices in usability, site merchandising and technical architecture, along with hundreds of apparel-optimized ecommerce features.