Client Overview:

Pacific Coast Lighting is a family-owned business founded in 1979 and headquartered in Southern California. They supply top-quality designer portable lighting to the largest retail chains and lighting department stores in the US. With showroom locations at High Point Market and Las Vegas Market, PCL has established itself as a leader in the lighting industry.

Discovering the Challenge:

• Pacific Coast Lighting faced a pressing challenge as their existing website platform was nearing expiration, leaving them in urgent need of a robust and stable online solution within a tight timeframe. This compelled them to seek a reliable partner capable of delivering a new, feature-rich website on a more sustainable platform to ensure uninterrupted online operations and future scalability.
• The PCL team’s priority was to elevate its online presence to match its brand identity. They felt that their older website lacked the user experience that would wow their target audience and give them an edge over the competition, and to achieve this, they invested in high-quality photoshoots and lookbooks. They wanted a website that matched this quality.

• Some of their needs from this project with Jola included upgrading their website to a modern new platform, implementing key features such as overhauled product data, stock details and ERP integrations so that products, inventory, customer-specific information, and orders would sync back and forth between the ERP and the website seamlessly and continuously.

• They were also looking for continued support and website maintenance.
• The long-term goal was to expand their reach beyond already engaged customers

The Evaluation/Selling Point:

• The PCL team was already working with an agency at the time they approached Jola, however, they were looking for a better quality of service than their current partners offered. Specifically, they wanted to work with a partner that had the technical expertise to build a powerful website on a leading platform like Adobe Commerce, while also elevating the visual experience, thus allowing them to capture more customers online.
• While PCL was evaluating a few other industry leaders in the PWA space as well, they found Jola’s pricing to be the most competitive.
• Most importantly, they were reassured by the Jola team’s expertise in the Home Furnishings industry and portfolio of websites that Jola designed and built for some of the biggest names in the furnishings industry. Their decision was validated by many within the industry who vouched for the brand’s quality of service and reputation.

“Given the short timeline from the moment the contract was signed to website launch, there were growing pains within our company as to how to work with an agency to build our website from scratch and given everything, we’re proud and believe we chose the right agency to help us develop the site. Things I wish we had done or planned differently looking back in hindsight, but overall we’re very pleased with the outcome and the dedication from the Jola team to ensure this site was not only up and running on time but was designed with intention. Hoping the close relationship and support continue through monthy maintenance as we are eager to continue improving the site. Something the previous agency lacked and fell short on their commitments.”

Rachel (Sevilla) Teebken, Marketing Manager

The Solution: Features of the new PCL Website

After this project, the result has been a new Pacific Coast Lighting website with a visual appeal and brand alignment that differentiates it from competitors.

• The website is built on Adobe Commerce’s Open Source platform. All product data is updated to Magento through a custom interface via integrations. The website is also fully integrated with their ERP AS400, as well as Epsilon Harmony for email marketing.
• Since PCL’s target audience is primarily B2B customers, (including designers, architects, contractors, furniture stores, home staging businesses, lighting stores, retailers, interior design firms, and online retail establishments), the website has been built to cater to such audiences, with features such as custom pricing, favorite lists, etc

• In line with their branding goals, the new homepage features sliders showcasing their collections with all important product information to enhance user experience

• A custom-built feature important to the PCL team involved temporary login access for prospective buyers while they considered becoming active customers. This allows them a 10-20 day trial period of access to the complete PCL experience.
• The website also prominently highlights the longstanding partnership between Kathy Ireland and PCL through a dedicated section showcasing products in a visually appealing and easily accessible manner. Customers can explore a range of exclusive designs endorsed by Kathy Ireland, adding a touch of prestige and sophistication to the overall shopping experience.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the partnership between Pacific Coast Lighting and Jola Interactive led to the successful development of a website that effectively reflects PCL’s brand identity and enhances user engagement. This collaboration underscores the importance of strategic alignment and dedication in achieving mutual goals.

Rachel (Sevilla) Teebken, Marketing Manager at Pacific Coast Lighting said the following when asked about her experience of working with Jola:

Summary:

Odette Furniture is a young, family-owned lifestyle furniture brand based in Birmingham, Alabama. They wanted to create an online presence to complement the unique elegance of their thriving flagship showroom in High Point, North Carolina.

They entrusted Jola with this undertaking as they wanted to work with a partner who understood their vision, had experience launching and scaling tech for successful furniture companies, and build a website powerful enough to engage their various B2B partners.

The Challenge:

• As a new B2B brand that has already built credibility among High Point furniture enthusiasts, Odette wanted a website that matched their design sensibilities and brand identity.
• It was important to digitize their catalog, to expand their reach in the addressable market.
• Odette’s website also needed to have robust abilities to support transactions with their B2B customers – which are of various types, including wholesalers, retailers, and designers.

The Solution & Features:

• A beautiful website that captured the designer vision of the founding team at Odette.

• Account Approval to engage various tiers of partners
  • Users are able to register on the website and seek approval from the Odette team to become partners. Pricing tiers are assigned based on the user type (eg. wholesaler, designer 1, designer 2).
• Customer’s Own Material (COM) feature for Fabric Customization
  • The team built a form that allows fabric customization with image upload, fabric details, and specific frame compatibility for a simplified quote process. Jola created a very intuitive flow to initiate the request, incorporating image upload, fabric details, and specific frame compatibility, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Hays Vogtle, Director of Operations at Odette said the following when asked about his experience of working with Jola:

“Working with Jola has been a great decision for Odette! Our account manager, Erin, always goes above and beyond expectations. Building a website was new territory for us! We greatly appreciate all of the sound advice from the Jola Team. Our site is sophisticated and customized, but still user friendly. We feel that Jola did a great job capturing our brand image!”

Hays Vogtle, Director of Operations

• Dynamic tear sheets
• Emphasized Antiques Section:
  • A dedicated section for one-of-a-kind antique furniture was strategically emphasized, showcasing Odette’s unique offerings. This section not only highlights the brand’s diverse product range but also caters to clients with a penchant for unique, timeless pieces.
• Dynamic events section
  • The High Point Market Events section on Odette’s website is a dynamic feature that aims to elevate user engagement, especially during the prestigious High Point Market events.
  • Key components of the High Point Market Events section include event listings, speaker profiles, and schedule overviews.

Conclusion:

The collaborative effort between Odette’s design vision and Jola’s expertise in crafting robust B2B e-commerce websites resulted in a beautiful and powerful business platform. This platform will be Odette’s number 1 tool in expanding the reach of their business across the country.

Palliser Furniture, one of the largest manufacturers in the North American furniture market, sought to revolutionize the in-store experience for its customers visiting premium retail locations. Since building personalized pieces is core to their mission, they were looking to take their customers on an immersive journey through their extensive product line.

Finding a rare blend of expertise at Jola Interactive, combining 3D modeling, visual configurations services, custom application development, and Adobe Commerce solutions, they decided to partner with us to build the Palliser Interactive Designer–an in-store kiosk application to bridge the gap between in-store limitations and online potential, reshaping the retail landscape.

The Challenge:

• As a brand, the Palliser team prides itself on its focus on personalizing pieces to fit the dreams and needs of its customers. However, their intricate customization options—ranging from recliner motions to diverse colors, shapes, sizes, fabrics, and more—challenged effective product showcasing.
• They needed to optimize space and inventory, granting consumers in furniture retail stores the ability to select from the wide range of products and options available to them, surpassing hundreds of thousands of combinations.
• Customers faced limitations in envisioning personalized furniture, having to rely on imagination without tangible representations. Rather than their customizability being an asset, Palliser and their retailers were losing out on sales opportunities when consumers weren’t able to visualize the options best suited to their needs.

The Evaluation/Selling Point:

• While Palliser was evaluating a few other industry leaders in the visual configuration space as well, they were only able to offer one part of the whole program, such as 3D visualization.
• Jola’s proposition outshone competitors by offering a rare all-inclusive approach that united 3D visualization, kiosk application development, and website integration seamlessly.
• In contrast to competitors offering fragmented services, Jola’s comprehensive solution was not only cost-effective but also streamlined operations, significantly impacting overall costs for Palliser.

The Solution:

• Implemented the ‘Palliser Interactive Designer’:
  • Jola developed a Retail Kiosk Application showcasing Palliser’s products and configurations, leveraging WordPress & Microsoft technologies to provide an interactive in-store experience. It is a one-of-a-kind touch screen incorporating 3D modeling technology, live pricing, and endless product details, which helps create a frictionless shopping experience for both the sales associate and the customer.

• Visual Configurator Interface:
  • Integrated a cutting-edge WebGL-based 3D modeling interface for customers to explore and personalize furniture options.

ANIMATION OF CONFIGURATOR COMPLETE SECTIONAL VISUALIZATION COMPLETE BED CUSTOMIZATION

• User Management System for Kiosk & Website Integration:
  • Employed Magento & Adobe systems, enabling store owners to analyze inquiries, manage flexible pricing, and oversee inventory across English, French, and Spanish demographics.

• Seamlessly linked the website’s inventory with Palliser’s ERP & PIM system for synchronized updates.

The Impact:

• Rollout and Expansion:
  • The kiosks have been implemented in 56 locations across North America by November 2023, with ambitious plans to scale to 200 by the end of 2024.
• Sales Surge:
  • Stores equipped with the kiosk witnessed an astonishing 49% increase in sales compared to those without, defying industry standards.
• Positive Reception:
  • Resounding endorsements from stores, attributing heightened Palliser item sales to the game-changing customer experience delivered by Jola’s solutions.

“Our Design Center and Interactive Designer (kiosk application) have in many respects become the heartbeats of our studios. While we are always continuing to innovate and enhance its offering, the digital tool to date not only helps consumers visualize their upholstery configuration and options available, it helps train sales associates on the Palliser lineup and allows them to sell more confidently and efficiently.”

      Steve A., Chief Marketing Officer @ Palliser

Conclusion:

Jola’s comprehensive approach not only addressed Palliser’s challenges but also significantly boosted sales, challenging the norms of traditional retail. By unifying the in-store and online realms, Jola and Palliser set a new benchmark for a seamlessly connected retail ecosystem, redefining the buyer journey and competition landscape within the industry.