Services · E-Commerce & Digital Commerce
Enterprise E-Commerce, Built on a Real Supply Chain
Arvato Ireland designs, builds and operates complete e-commerce solutions for businesses that sell physical products — from high-value B2B hardware to high-volume B2C fulfilment. Unlike standalone webshop providers, our commerce platforms are backed by our own warehousing, logistics and back-office operations, giving clients a single partner responsible for the entire journey: from the moment a customer browses the catalogue to the moment the goods arrive, and every payment, document and status update in between.
Many of our clients sell complex, high-value or regulated products where a standard off-the-shelf webshop falls short. Orders may run to six or seven figures, buyers may need approval workflows and credit terms rather than a card checkout, and every transaction may need to be traceable for audit and compliance. Our e-commerce solutions are built for exactly this environment — and scale equally well to straightforward B2C direct-to-consumer selling.
We operate the platform as a managed service on our clients' behalf: hosting, security, payments, catalogue administration, order management and customer support can all sit with Arvato Ireland, or be shared with the client's own teams. The result is a branded, professional storefront for the client, with the operational machinery of an established global supply chain provider behind it.
Platform capabilities
Product catalogue & storefront
- Fully branded storefront in the client's identity — the platform is white-label and carries the client's name, not ours.
- Rich product catalogue with categories, imagery, technical data sheets and downloadable documentation — suited to complex technical and industrial products as well as consumer goods.
- Structured product data supporting search, filtering and comparison across large catalogues.
- Responsive, modern web experience that works equally well for a procurement manager at a desk or a consumer on a phone.
Ordering & checkout
- Full basket and checkout flow, supporting both instant purchases and quotation-style ordering.
- Verified-order workflow for high-value B2B transactions: large orders are routed for review before payment is taken. Our team (or the client's) confirms stock, calculates freight for the specific consignment, and releases the order for payment — so buyers are never charged an estimate.
- Multi-line orders with per-line pricing, quantities and delivery detail.
- Order attachments — purchase orders, compliance documents and specifications can be attached to a transaction and retained with it.
Payments & credit
- Multiple payment mechanisms under one roof: card and digital payments (via Stripe and other PSPs), bank transfer, and payment by secure reference code for approved high-value orders — the buyer pays when the order is verified, using a code that ties the payment unambiguously to the transaction.
- Credit account support for established trading relationships: approved customers can order against agreed credit terms and settle by invoice, with credit limits and account status managed on the platform.
- Support for staged and deferred payment models where the commercial relationship requires it.
- Full reconciliation between orders, payments and despatches — finance teams see one consistent record.
Customer & account management
- Business customer accounts with multiple named users per organisation — procurement teams can share visibility of orders, quotes and history.
- Customer-specific commercial terms: negotiated pricing, shipping rate agreements and credit arrangements applied automatically at checkout.
- Self-service account area covering order history, order status, invoices, saved details and returns.
- Structured registration and onboarding for new trading partners, with admin approval before an account can transact where required.
Order lifecycle, track & trace
- Every order moves through a defined, visible lifecycle — submitted, under review, verified, payment pending, paid, released, shipped, completed — so customers and client teams always know exactly where things stand.
- Track and trace throughout: status is visible online at every stage, and automated email notifications keep the buyer informed at each milestone, from order confirmation through despatch to delivery.
- Integration with carrier tracking so the final-mile journey is visible alongside the order itself.
- A complete, timestamped audit trail on every order — every status change, edit and communication is recorded, giving clients the traceability that regulated and enterprise environments demand.
Returns & reverse logistics
- Structured online returns: customers select the original order and items, state quantities and reasons, and receive confirmation and instructions — no email chains or paper forms.
- Returns feed directly into our reverse logistics operation in Swords: inspection, grading, restocking, consolidation or return-to-vendor, with the outcome recorded against the original order.
- Full visibility for the client of return rates, reasons and stock recovered.
Administration & control
- A comprehensive admin console for client and Arvato teams: order review and verification, shipping calculation, payment oversight, catalogue and pricing management, customer administration and reporting.
- Role-based access control separating administrators, operational staff and customers, so each user sees exactly what their role requires.
- Automated email communications for every key event — order acknowledgement, verification, payment requests, despatch and delivery — all in the client's branding.
Security, compliance & operations
- Built and operated to enterprise security standards: hardened authentication, protection against common web attack classes, encrypted payment flows and independent security review.
- Hosted and managed by Arvato Ireland, with monitoring, structured logging and defined support arrangements.
- Data handled in line with GDPR, with audit-grade record keeping across orders, payments and customer activity.
- Operated from our ISO 9001-certified Irish operation, with 24/7 site security at our Swords facility.
Eight stages, one clear status
Every order moves through a defined lifecycle. Buyers and operations teams see the same status at every step, and the platform emails both sides at each key transition.
- Stage 1
Submitted
The buyer places the order. Freight is shown as "to be determined" and an order-received email goes out.
- Stage 2
Under review
Our team checks the lines and prices freight, insurance and tax for that specific consignment.
- Stage 3
Verified
The total is locked. A unique reference code and payment link are emailed to the buyer.
- Stage 4
Payment pending
The buyer pays by card, bank transfer or purchase order using the reference code.
- Stage 5
Paid
Funds are confirmed and the buyer receives a payment-confirmed email.
- Stage 6
Released
The order is released to the warehouse for picking and packing.
- Stage 7
Shipped
Carrier, tracking number and delivery instructions are recorded and emailed to the buyer.
- Stage 8
Completed
Delivery is confirmed. The order closes with its full audit trail intact.
An order that cannot be fulfilled is rejected during review. The reason is recorded on the order and sent to the buyer.
Browse, compare, add to basket
A searchable catalogue with category, price and sort filters. Each product page carries an image gallery with hover-to-zoom, downloadable PDF data sheets, a specification table and a line total that updates as the quantity changes.
- Search, category and price-range filtering with sortable, paginated results
- Multiple images per product, with one marked as primary
- Data sheets and specification documents attached to each product
- Related products from the same category
From checkout to delivery
Buyers submit a purchase request with their addresses, VAT number and delivery notes. Nothing is charged until our team has verified the order and priced freight and insurance for that consignment. A reference code then unlocks payment by card, bank transfer or purchase order, with bank transfer and purchase orders reserved for approved accounts.
Every order, with its documents, tracking and payment history, sits in the buyer's account. Our operations team works from a single console with a live order queue, editable line items and a full audit trail, and branded emails keep everyone informed at each step.
Commerce plus fulfilment — one accountable partner
What sets our e-commerce offering apart is that the platform is only half of the service. Because Arvato Ireland also provides the warehousing, fulfilment, freight management and back-office operations behind the storefront, an order placed online is picked, packed, shipped and supported by the same organisation that runs the platform. There is no gap between the digital experience and the physical one — and no dispute about who is responsible when something needs fixing.
For global companies entering or serving the Irish and European markets, this means a single contract and a single point of accountability covering:
- The customer-facing commerce platform
- Catalogue, pricing and content administration
- Payment collection and reconciliation
- Warehousing, pick-pack and despatch
- Carrier management and delivery tracking
- Returns and reverse logistics
- Customer service and order support
Proven in demanding environments
Our platform currently powers B2B commerce for enterprise technology hardware, where individual orders regularly reach six figures, buyers require verification and bespoke freight calculation before payment, and every transaction must stand up to audit. The same platform architecture supports conventional B2C selling — the workflows adapt to the client's products, order values and customer base, not the other way around.
Whether you are a manufacturer looking to sell direct, a brand entering the European market, or an enterprise needing a controlled channel for high-value equipment, we can deliver a commerce operation that is live, staffed and shipping — not just a website.
See the platform in action
Our team will walk you through the storefront, the checkout and the operations console described on this page.
Request a demonstration →