Case Study: Appletons Website & Wholesale Portal

About Our Client

Appletons is a British heritage brand, crafting the finest wool products since 1835. Known for combining quality, sustainability, and countryside-inspired charm, Appletons serves both retail customers and wholesale clients. Their goal is to provide a seamless, enjoyable experience while maintaining a strong, recognisable brand that reflects their values: craftsmanship, friendliness, and a love of the British countryside.

The Challenge

Appletons faced a dual challenge. They needed a modern, user-friendly e-commerce website for retail customers, alongside a robust wholesale portal for B2B clients. Their existing systems were fragmented, with inconsistencies in ordering processes, glitches with Sage integration, and difficulty maintaining consistent pricing for wholesale clients. The brand also wanted a refreshed, grown-up look, with a clear visual identity, while supporting flexible product management, stock control, and promotional offers.

The Solution

We approached the project through a structured, collaborative process. It began with a specification workshop, where we explored Appletons’ workflows, visited their warehouse, and mapped existing processes to ensure the new system would work seamlessly. Next, we worked closely with the content and design teams, developing wireframes and page content that reflected Appletons’ tone, values, and key messages. Graphics and design were iterated, reviewed, and signed off collaboratively, ensuring that every detail aligned with the refreshed brand. The build combined a WordPress e-commerce site for retail customers with a custom wholesale portal built on NodeJS and Yii Framework. Both platforms were designed to be scalable, flexible, and robust, featuring a secure LAMP stack, modern JS and CSS standards, responsive mobile and desktop designs, and a performance-optimised server hosted in a UK AWS data centre. Web application firewalls, load balancers, and 24/7 monitoring ensured reliability and uptime. Throughout the project, every stage - from build specification and development to quality assurance, user acceptance testing, and feedback management - was carefully managed. All project facets were tracked using an online portal, with regular internal scrums and client-facing check-ins to ensure alignment toward a smooth go-live.

The Outcome

The result is a beautifully designed, modern website that showcases Appletons’ refreshed brand and British heritage, paired with a seamless wholesale portal that simplifies B2B ordering. Retail customers enjoy a smooth, error-free shopping experience, while wholesale clients can access tiered pricing, streamlined invoicing, and flexible order management. Integration with Sage has reduced errors, and the platform’s scalability allows Appletons to adapt to future growth. With enhanced digital presence, promotional offers, and Google reviews integrated, Appletons can now engage their audience more effectively and efficiently.

Our Learnings

Collaboration and communication were key to this project’s success. Early workshops, close cross-team coordination, and iterative feedback ensured the solution truly met the client’s needs. Investing in robust, scalable architecture and seamless integration early on reduces post-launch issues and supports long-term growth. And paying attention to the details - consistent content, clear messaging, and intuitive user experience - makes all the difference in creating a platform that’s not only functional but inspiring.

www.appletons.org.uk