Major Release Shopware 6.6
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Märklin

Key facts:

Shopware Plan

Enterprise Edition

Company

 Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH

Technical features

“In every real man is a hidden child that wants to play” – this quote from Nietzsche rings especially true in our new reference, Märklin. The hand-made model trains fascinate young and old alike- and has so for over 150 years of its company history.

Starting as a small factory for tin toys, Märklin developed into the market leader for model railways. The goal was always to create replications as faithful as possible to reality, primarily using a number of materials such as metals, aluminum, high quality plastics or wood.

Reaching young target groups with the new online appearance

Collectors from around the world see the value behind “Made in Germany” – but not only longtime fans should be able to appreciate the work from the model railway manufacturer. Märklin’s Marketing Director, Jörg Iske explains: “The modernization of our online presence is an important strategic component in our efforts to make model railways once again attractive for young target groups.”

Shopware convinces through fast performance

“When choosing the right system for the Märklin online shop, our digital agency, 21TORR, did an excellent job advising us and bringing Shopware into the game. Even decision-makers at other companies were giving us recommendations for Shopware. From the test pages that were presented to the final implementation, we were convinced by the friendly usability, excellent design and quick performance,” explained Jörge Iske of their decision to use Shopware.

21TORR, an agency for digital branding, mobile solutions and eBusiness, has extensive experience connecting creative ideas with current technologies and creating digital brand concepts. As such, they met the ideal prerequisites to meet the demands of the project.

Three brand united in the Märklin shop

The new online presence is built using the Shopware Enterprise Edition with the basis of Shopware 5. The official manufacturer shop welcomes its customers with full-page banners that appeal not only to the longtime collectors, but also to the younger generation with great entry-level products. Take for instance, the categories “Märklin my world” and “Märklin Start up” are targeted at kids’ aged 3 – 6 using attractive images and videos.

Two other brands, Trix and LBG, have also been incorporated into the Märklin online store, making it a one-stop-shop for all your locomotive desires. In total, the shop has over 180 individual categories and more than 50,000 items. Despite the intensive web-heavy load, Shopware’s Enterprise Edition offers high performance, which allows the shop customers to enjoy the range of products quickly and promotes a user-friendly brand experience.

This project also reflects the short time-to-market that distinguishes Shopware Enterprise projects. In particular, thanks to 24/7 support and individual support from Shopware, the new Märklin shop, from conception to going live, required just three months.

Mobile conversion significantly increases

Initial evaluations since the relaunch are already showing a significant improvement to conversion. The fact that the shop is now fully responsive, represents a further incentive for younger target groups and has proven itself valuable in the impressive increase in mobile conversion. “We are very satisfied with the new online shop,” concludes Jörg Iske.

Agency 21TORR is also pleased with the result: “Using Shopware allowed us to implement the shop with a focus on the user experience, while also remaining in-line with the technical requirements that lay within the existing budgets,” said Frank Gärtner, Director of Engineering a 21 TORR.