Starting point: From fabric dream to city talk
Pompon is a popular meeting place for all sewing enthusiasts in the Zurich area – and thanks to the online shop, far beyond that!
When Sandra, whom friends like to call Sandy, opened her small studio at Idaplatz 10 in 2010, it was a courageous step. The trained seamstress wanted to bring the most beautiful fabrics in the world to Zurich – and give customers the opportunity to sew their very own dreams from them. Cotton from England and Portugal, silk from India, linen from Tuscany – each fabric tells its own story.
Amidst these colors, textures, and patterns, Pompon has developed over the years into a fixed destination for creatives and fashion enthusiasts. Even on an ordinary Wednesday morning, there is bustling activity: customers discuss projects, compare fabric samples, and find exactly what they are looking for. At the same time, many people order their fabrics online at Pom-pon.ch – either for pickup in the store or for delivery by mail to their home. All customer groups access the same inventory, which is maintained only once – thanks to StoreConnect.
The challenge
When too many loose threads come from beautiful fabrics
But that wasn’t always the case. Before the introduction of StoreConnect, the complexity behind the scenes grew with every new meter of fabric, every additional course, and every new customer. The webshop that Sandy had set up back in 2015 was initially a gain – but at some point, the interplay between the store, courses, and online shop became too complicated:
Inventory chaos: Stock levels ran parallel in two worlds. “Sometimes I had already sold something online that was long gone in the store – and vice versa,” recalls Sandy.
Technical hurdles: Courses were technically sold as “pieces” instead of by the meter.
Manual effort: Vouchers had to be tediously maintained in Excel lists.
Sandy knew: “I need a solution that connects everything – like a good thread that holds.”
The Procedure: A digital fabric that connects everything
She found this connection with HighPots – and the StoreConnect solution. Together with the experienced IT team, a system was created that catapulted Pompon into a new era.
Centralized management: Courses and vouchers are managed directly through the system, without duplicate maintenance.
The result: Less office, more fabric love
An invisible but decisive advantage is the gained time. Administrative tasks that used to take hours now run automatically in the background.
- Automation: The accounting is integrated, inventories are updated live, and even returns or exchange bookings seamlessly integrate into the system.
- Focus on the core business: There is more room for consulting, creativity, and immersing in the world of fabrics. “I wanted to have more time for people and materials again – not for Excel spreadsheets,” says Sandy laughing.
- Scalability: With the newfound freedom, Sandy is already planning a second location for the popular sewing classes, while the main store at Idaplatz is getting more space for new collections.
Conclusion: What other dealers can learn from it
Pompon is today a prime example of how an analog business can thrive in the digital world without losing its passion.
With StoreConnect, online and offline business can be connected in a way that creates a harmonious pattern:
- Synchronized processes instead of duplicate work.
- More overview of sales, offers, inventory, courses, and customers.
- More time for consulting, assortment, and growth.
- More efficient marketing, as all data is available digitally.
The Pompon example also shows that genuine omnichannel approaches do not have to be overpriced. Since the WooCommerce shop system is based on an open-source license, only the costs for the setup and operation of StoreConnect are incurred – an investment that pays off through a high return on investment and future-proofing for retail.