Tracksrocks.com
Creating an eCommerce site for a brick-and-mortar vinyl records store
The Challenge
Tracks on Kirkwood, a renowned vinyl record store in Bloomington, Indiana, has been the go-to destination for vinyl record enthusiasts for several years. Recognizing the need to adapt to the changing times, the store owner decided to establish an eCommerce platform to sell their extensive collection of over 14,000 vinyl records. However, he faced a significant challenge in executing this plan. The store's inventory and point-of-sale operations relied on an outdated database management tool known as FoxPro, which was created in the 90s and had been obsolete for more than a decade. Consequently, in addition to developing the eCommerce platform, Tracks needed a solution that would seamlessly integrate with their existing operations and allow for the efficient upload and management of inventory through the new website.
The Solution
The first step was to make all inventory accessible on the site. Since FoxPro was outdated and lacked online tools, a custom admin experience was developed. The owner could extract inventory from FoxPro into an excel sheet, which was then uploaded into the admin tool. This process allowed the owner to easily maintain and update the site with new product pages and remove sold-out items.
The second problem was the lack of images for over 14,000 records. Taking photos or manual searches were not feasible due to time and labor constraints. To address this, an innovative web scraper was created to retrieve images from sites like Amazon and Vinyl Record databases. The tool successfully fetched images for over 10,000 records, ensuring a visually appealing site. It also automatically retrieved images for new inventory additions, eliminating the need for manual work.
The Results
Within six months after its launch, Tracksrocks.com was already a go-to platform for vinyl record enthusiasts, attracting a wide range of loyal customers, both new and old to Tracks. The site garnered an impressive influx of orders, with customers seamlessly submitting hundreds of transactions through it. As a result, the owners efficiently managed their existing order workflows by leveraging the suite of admin tools specifically designed for them. Surpassing half a decade since its inception, the site continues to be actively utilized by the dedicated team at Tracks on Kirkwood. Remarkably, the site has yet to encounter any issues or necessitate updates due to the unparalleled efficiency and robustness of the bespoke admin tools, tailored to facilitate optimal site operations.