WebCitz started working with this client in 2020
- Client: Dewar Nurseries
- Platform: WordPress
- Industry: Agriculture, Retail / E-Commerce
- Services: Ecommerce, Maintenance / Support, Web Hosting
The Challenge
Dewar Nurseries operates at a massive scale, supplying local nurseries across the country. Their digital needs were far beyond a typical retail shop. They required:
- B2B Complexity: A system that could handle large-scale wholesale orders while providing a seamless experience for professional buyers.
- Logistics Integration: The most critical challenge was shipping. Plants are fragile, vary in height, and are shipped in “flats.” Dewar needed a way to help buyers understand exactly how their order would fit into a delivery truck to optimize shipping costs and reduce wasted space.
- Unique Brand Identity: They needed a custom design that reflected their specific aesthetic – something a pre-made template could never achieve.
The WebCitz Solution
WebCitz spent hundreds of hours architecting a bespoke solution tailored to Dewar’s unique business logic:
- Custom “Truck Optimization” Shipping Engine: We engineered a proprietary shipping logic system. When a nursery places an order, the website automatically calculates the spatial requirements – accounting for flats, plant heights, and total volume – to show the buyer how much of a delivery truck is being utilized. This allows for optimized routing and maximum shipping efficiency.
- B2B & Online Ordering Hub: We built a robust wholesale environment within WooCommerce, streamlining the reordering process for long-term partners and managing complex sales tax calculations across multiple jurisdictions.
- Bespoke Theme Development: Moving away from purchased templates, we designed and hand-coded a custom WordPress theme. This ensured the site was lightweight, fast, and visually aligned with Dewar’s high-end botanical brand.
- Extensive Custom Plugin Engineering: To support their specific business rules, we developed a suite of custom plugins. These handled everything from advanced checkout flow improvements to specialized product data management that standard WooCommerce attributes couldn’t accommodate.
- Ongoing Technical Support: Since the 2020 launch, we have provided continuous enhancements, ensuring the site evolves alongside Dewar’s growing national operations.
The Result
The Dewar Nurseries project is a prime example of how WebCitz uses code to solve real-world physical logistics problems. The site has become a vital tool for their national distribution network, reducing the manual labor involved in order coordination and shipping planning. By merging high-end design with heavy-duty engineering, we helped Dewar Nurseries solidify their position as a digital leader in the horticulture industry.
