Approximately 70% of digital transformation projects fail to meet their goals. That’s often due to a lack of clear direction — but when the project in question is essential for business growth, the right development team can provide that clarity.

Based in New Haven, Missouri, ALPS Brands is a family-owned company that has designed high-quality outdoor gear since 1993. The company operates several labels including ALPS Mountaineering, ALPS OutdoorZ, Cedar Ridge, and Browning Camping, providing everything from technical backpacking tents to specialized hunting packs.

Managing these distinct identities requires a sophisticated e-commerce solution that can handle high-volume sales — and multiple storefronts — without compromising performance. 

Related: Blue Stingray is now recognized as an official Adobe Ecommerce Silver Partner

The Problem: A Stalled E-Commerce Migration and Fragmented Systems

At the time, ALPS used OpenCart, which wasn’t providing the necessary flexibility. Magento (now Adobe Commerce) was a logical upgrade: Built to support multiple e-stores, Magento offers a centralized architecture that allows businesses to manage various frontends from a single backend.

ALPS engaged a developer with limited Magento experience. That team was able to begin the migration from OpenCart, but the project stalled.

The implementation was roughly 60% complete when progress ground to a halt. ALPS Brands needed an expert team to step in, audit the existing work, and provide a clear path to launch.

The Solution: Strategic Migration with Custom Engineering

In 2021, ALPS Brands reached out to Blue Stingray. The team began with a comprehensive audit of the existing Magento implementation, along with the functionality of the original OpenCart store. The goal was to identify architectural weaknesses and the reasons for the previous delays.

Based on the assessment, Blue Stingray identified several key milestones: 

• Native Multi-store Configuration: Leveraging Magento’s architecture to support five distinct brand storefronts within a single installation for centralized administration.
• ERP Connector Overhaul: To manage high-volume daily order flow, Blue Stingray completely rewrote the original ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) connector, ensuring inventory and fulfillment data synced seamlessly across all labels.
• Customized Loyalty Systems: The team built a heavily modified rewards points system based on a third-party extension  to create a tailored customer experience that matched the specific branding of ALPS labels.

“They gave us a deadline for launch and we gave them honest estimates on what could be done by launch and what should be phase 2,” Murray says. “They were a very organized and involved client — in a good way. They were very motivated to get the project completed.”

Blue Stingray’s phased approach allowed the core platform to go live within 2 – 3 months. 

Related: Case Study: Galco Transitions from Legacy Systems to Modern ERP, PIM, and eCommerce Platforms

The Result: A Seamless Experience for the Outdoor Community

Today, ALPS Brands can provide customers with a more reliable, responsive shopping experience — and while the backend administration is centralized, each brand can maintain a unique storefront that speaks to its specific audience. 

The functional loyalty rewards system ensures that returning customers are recognized and rewarded. Most importantly, by moving to a stable, professionally managed Magento 2 environment, ALPS Brands ensures that their digital presence is as dependable as their products. 
To learn more about Magento 2 migrations or custom ERP solutions, contact Blue Stingray today.