Enterprise eCommerce ecosystem for a global retail group
Facts and figures of Auchan
Auchan is a French multinational retail group founded in 1961. The company operates hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores across Europe, Asia, and Africa, serving millions of customers daily. Over the decades, Auchan has grown into one of the largest retail chains in Europe, offering a wide assortment of food and non-food products.
Originally established as a family-owned business, Auchan expanded its operations internationally while maintaining a strong focus on accessible pricing and product diversity. The retailer combines physical store networks with eCommerce platforms to provide customers with flexible shopping experiences across multiple channels.
Today, Auchan continues to strengthen its market position by investing in digital transformation, supply chain optimization, and customer-focused retail innovations, adapting its business model to evolving consumer expectations and global retail trends.
At the beginning of the collaboration, Auchan approached Globaldev with the need to develop a large-scale eCommerce platform. As a major international retailer operating with hundreds of thousands of products, millions of users, and high transaction volumes, the company required a robust and scalable online store capable of handling significant load and complex internal business processes.
Off-the-shelf solutions were no longer suitable due to Auchan’s intricate architecture and deeply integrated operational workflows. The retailer needed a custom eCommerce platform that could seamlessly connect with existing corporate systems, support high performance under peak loads, and serve as a foundation for further digital growth. Globaldev’s experience in custom eCommerce development services for large retailers became the key reason for starting the partnership.
Over more than 10 years of partnership with Auchan, our collaboration evolved from building a large-scale online store into becoming a long-term R&D and technology partner responsible for key components of the retailer’s digital ecosystem.
At peak stages, a dedicated team of up to 50 specialists, including backend and mobile developers, business analysts, QA engineers, and project managers, worked on designing, delivering, and continuously improving mission-critical systems. Over the years, we developed and modernized multiple interconnected platforms supporting eCommerce operations, warehouse and order management, supplier processes, content governance, authentication, loyalty programs, and enterprise integrations.
Rather than delivering isolated solutions, we helped establish a scalable and adaptable digital foundation capable of supporting high-load retail operations, complex business workflows, and continuous transformation. Many systems were rebuilt, re-engineered, or expanded as business priorities evolved, ensuring long-term stability, performance, and growth.
Warehouse & Order Management Software (WMS + OMS)
To meet the timeline and operational requirements, we implemented an Odoo-based architecture selected for its flexibility and rapid deployment capabilities. The solution included a dedicated mobile application to support warehouse picking operations.
Rather than relying on out-of-the-box functionality, we engineered custom Odoo modules fully aligned with Auchan’s technical landscape and business workflows, leveraging our internal frameworks and accelerators to optimize development speed and system performance. Our business analysts and system architects played a central role in defining the solution architecture and ensuring precise alignment with operational requirements.
The platform was successfully launched ahead of the critical back-to-school retail season. Following implementation, warehouse productivity and order picking speed improved significantly, supplier-side fulfillment processes were enabled, and the investment achieved full return within the first year of operation.
Supplier Management Solution
To address supplier-related operational bottlenecks, we designed and implemented a centralized Supplier Management Solution that streamlined onboarding, data imports, and integration workflows across 1,000+ suppliers.
The platform enables user-level configuration of supplier imports, providing greater flexibility and reducing dependency on manual technical setup. We introduced structured monitoring and control mechanisms to ensure transparency, stability, and consistency of import processes.
The architecture was designed with scalability in mind, forming the foundation for a self-service supplier portal that will allow partners to independently manage price and stock imports. This forward-looking approach ensures long-term operational efficiency and supports the continued expansion of Auchan’s supplier ecosystem.
Content Management (Product Information) Hub
To eliminate content fragmentation and improve data governance, we implemented a centralized Product Content Management System that established a single source of truth for all product information.
The solution introduced structured categorization, standardized quality control processes, and intuitive interfaces for catalog management and bulk data processing. Seamless integrations were built with the eCommerce platform, supplier systems, brand portals, and other internal services, ensuring consistent and reliable product data across the entire digital ecosystem.
Centralized Authentication (Single Authorization Center)
To unify the customer experience across digital touchpoints, we designed and implemented a centralized Single Sign-On (SSO) authorization platform. The solution consolidated authentication across all existing systems while establishing a scalable foundation for future digital products, ensuring seamless access, improved security, and consistent identity management across Auchan’s ecosystem.
Loyalty System for eCommerce
To support Auchan’s loyalty strategy, we designed and implemented a custom eCommerce loyalty program incorporating core mechanics such as rewards logic, rule configuration, and customer engagement scenarios. The solution was built to validate key business hypotheses while ensuring seamless integration with the existing digital infrastructure.
Following successful validation, the initiative evolved into a strategic decision to launch a unified omnichannel loyalty system spanning both online and offline retail. Our solution became an integral part of a multi-level loyalty ecosystem integrated with Salesforce and other enterprise systems. Throughout the process, we acted not only as a development provider but as a technology partner, guiding adoption, aligning architecture, and resolving complex integration challenges.
Throughout more than 10 years of collaboration, Globaldev provided a dedicated cross-functional team supporting Auchan’s evolving digital initiatives. Team composition scaled and adapted over time, bringing together:
- Backend developers
- Front-end developers
- Android app developers
- iOS app developers
- Business analysts
- Quality assurance engineers
- Project managers
- CTO
Related case studies
FAQ
