Nectar Imports

01

Replatforming onto our SM5 Content Management System

Replatforming Nectar onto our proprietary SM5 content management system formed the foundation of the entire transformation. The previous platform had become restrictive, and by migrating to SM5, we provided Nectar with a scalable, future-ready infrastructure built specifically to support complex B2B commerce environments, enabling Nectar to continually evolve their ecommerce capabilities, integrate with third-party systems, and build their digital estate without requiring further structural redevelopment.

The new CMS gives Nectar significantly greater control over its content. Marketing teams can now build and manage pages using modular, flexible components. Beyond content flexibility, SM5 delivers measurable technical advantages, granular user permissions and integrated reporting tools.

02

Re-integrating with the Merlin sales order processing system

We re-integrated the existing Merlin ERP system into the new SM5 platform, preserving operational continuity while enhancing capability. 

The website receives: 
- Customer data (account status and historical order records) 
- Product prices and customer-specific discounts 
- Account-based special offers
- Live stock availability 
- Product data. Building on this Merlin data, we enabled additional product content to be added within the CMS, allowing marketing-rich content beyond the Merlin limitations. 

The website sends: 
- Submitted orders directly into Merlin.

04

Enhanced promotion management

Promotions were embedded strategically throughout the customer journey, particularly within checkout where customers can add offers without disrupting their flow. The CMS enables simplified promotion management, flexible homepage display control, and marketing-led promotional messaging. Features such as offer progress indicators encourage offer completion and increase basket size. Detailed reporting ensures Nectar can measure promotional effectiveness and optimise campaigns accordingly.

05

Brand content pages

We introduced dedicated brand-focused content areas to strengthen storytelling, improve SEO, and attract new customer applications. These brand microsites create space for richer promotional activity while enhancing brand visibility and engagement. They also present commercial opportunities for brand-funded placements, turning content into strategic revenue for Nectar, rather than purely informational pages.

06

Advanced product searching

By implementing Meilisearch, we significantly improved the relevance and speed of on-site search. The system ensures customers are always presented with appropriate results, even when exact matches are unavailable, reducing dead ends and lost revenue. Intelligent prioritisation also enables consistent promotion of key brands and products. This has transformed the search into a commercial tool rather than simply a utility function.

07

"Top Up" feature

The "Top up" functionality compares a customer’s current basket with their recent orders and identifies frequently purchased products that may be missing. By suggesting these items as well as products from incomplete offers before checkout completion,  the system encourages customers to exceed the free delivery threshold and place fewer, higher-value orders. 

08

Customer personalisation

Personalisation features were introduced to deepen customer engagement and retention. Customers can save favourites, create shopping lists, and use a built-in profit calculator on product pages to assess margin potential. Frequently ordered items are automatically added to a "regulars" list, while customer reviews on product pages reinforces trust in the brand and Nectar. A managed online application process also supports new customer acquisition. The application submissions are stored in the CMS and managed by Nectar using a task-based workflow.

09

Submitting payments or paying on account

10

Promoting underselling, trending and special offer products

We integrated dynamic promotional messaging across key areas of the site, particularly above the fold on high-traffic pages. Clear calls to action guide customers toward priority categories and strategic product lines. This allows Nectar to influence purchasing behaviour proactively, promoting high-margin or underselling products while increasing engagement across the catalogue.

11

Supplier portal

A dedicated supplier portal was developed to streamline product data management. Suppliers can upload nutritional information, dietary details, and imagery directly into the system, with updates automatically linked to relevant CMS product records once approved. This reduces internal administrative workload, improves data accuracy, and accelerates time-to-market for new or updated products.