WebCitz started working with this client in 2009
- Client: College Products
- Platform: Magento
- Industry: Retail / E-Commerce
- Services: Ecommerce, Maintenance / Support, Web Development, Web Hosting
The Challenge
College Products specializes in the rental and sale of dorm room essentials, such as lofts, refrigerators, and security lockboxes. Their business model was exceptionally complex because pricing, product availability, and delivery logistics varied by campus. They needed an e-commerce platform that could:
- Segment Users by University: Provide a unique shopping experience for students at 10+ colleges.
- Manage Rental Logic: Handle the nuances of renting furniture (deposit, return dates, etc.) rather than just standard one-time sales.
- Scalability: Centralize the management of dozens of “sub-stores” within a single administrative backend.
The WebCitz Solution
Starting in 2009, WebCitz pioneered a massive Magento implementation that served as the backbone of the company’s digital growth:
- Multi-Store Magento 1.x Architecture: We engineered a complex multi-store installation featuring more than 10 individual sub-stores. This allowed the client to manage pricing, inventory, and university-specific rules for dozens of campuses from one centralized Magento dashboard.
- Custom University Landing Pages: We developed custom-programmed ordering interfaces for each partner university. These landing pages served as dedicated “front doors” for students, ensuring they only saw the products and delivery dates specific to their particular campus.
- Complex Product Data Management: We handled the heavy lifting of importing and organizing product data across the entire network, ensuring that the relationships between SKU variants (sizes, colors, rental terms) were technically sound.
- Rental Interface Customization: Since standard e-commerce is built for “buy and ship,” we customized the Magento checkout flow to accommodate the rental model, including the integration of campus-specific delivery instructions.
- Brand Identity & Logo Design: During a significant rebranding phase, our creative team provided professional logo design services. We focused on creating a versatile, modern identity that could bridge the gap between corporate reliability and a student-friendly aesthetic.
The Result
The three-year partnership between WebCitz and College Products resulted in one of the most sophisticated Magento deployments of its time. By successfully managing a 10+ store network and building university-specific conversion paths, we helped College Products scale their business and professionalize their digital operations. The infrastructure we built allowed them to dominate the collegiate rental market by providing a seamless, customized experience for students across the country.
