Documentation

Manage multiple experiences from one Project

Learn about the key features of both Stores and Channels and how to use them to craft multiple commerce experiences.

  • After completing this page, you should be able to:

    • Identify the roles of Stores and Channels.

    • Composable Commerce comes with two powerful features called Stores and Channels that allow you to model various shopping contexts.

    Stores

    You can think of Stores as individual online shops within your overall commerce ecosystem. They enable you to segment brands, regions, and various sales channels (for example, mobile app, endless aisle, point of sale, digital commerce website) – all within the same Composable Commerce Project.

    Stores have the following key features:

    • Unique experiences: tailor shopping journeys for different audiences or regions, going beyond simple branding modifications.
    • Shared resources: define subsets of Products, Locales, Prices, Discounts, Inventory, and Customers to be shared across experiences, promoting efficiency and consistency where needed.
    • Data isolation: ensure data security and integrity through data fencing mechanisms, protecting sensitive information and complying with regulations.

    Channels

    Channels provide the context for Prices and Inventory available to a Store:

    • Distribution Channels (Product Distribution/Price): These are pricing pipelines. Each Channel holds a set of Prices for your Products. Assigning specific distribution Channels to Stores dictates the pricing strategy for that Store. Stores inherit Prices matching their assigned Distribution Channels or Prices not assigned to any specific Channel.
    • Supply Channels (Inventory Supply): These are inventory pipelines. Each Channel represents a single Inventory source (for example, a warehouse, physical store, or dropshipping supplier). Linking supply Channels to Stores allows for managing Inventory levels, tracking Product availability, and implementing omnichannel fulfillment strategies. Stores inherit Inventory matching their assigned Supply Channels or inventory not assigned to any specific Channel.

    A single Distribution or Supply Channel can be linked to multiple Stores, providing granular control over your Store model.

    Using Stores and Channels together

    Let’s consider an example company called UrbanStyle, a clothing retailer with online and physical stores in North America and Europe. They need different Prices, stock levels, and Customer experiences for each region. How might they use Stores and Channels to model this context?

    • Stores: UrbanStyle creates two Stores: "North America Store" and "Europe Store." This allows for region-specific branding, currencies (USD and EUR), and localized content.
    • Distribution Channels: They create two Distribution Channels called "Online Pricing Channel" and "In-Store Pricing Channel" to manage different pricing strategies for online and physical sales.
    • Supply Channels: They create two Supply Channels called "Warehouse North America" and "Warehouse Europe" to track inventory for their respective regions.

    In essence, Stores help define the customer-facing experience, while Channels manage the backend logistics.

    Audit Log: tracking changes

    The Premium version of Composable Commerce provides an Audit Log that records all Project data changes. This log supports filtering by Store and API Client, offering detailed insights into data modifications within specific Store contexts and by specific applications. This facilitates troubleshooting, security auditing, data analysis, and operational efficiency.

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