Multiple ecommerce storefront connected to the same backend, background graphics

Multiple Storefronts with Drupal Commerce

Reduce total cost of ownership while giving each brand autonomy.

Multiple storefronts represented as different webpages, powered by a single platform

Organizations with multiple brands face a critical challenge. How do you share resources and enforce corporate standards while still giving each brand autonomy with how their storefronts look, feel, and engage customers?

Our multi-brand commerce solutions can help you solve this challenge. We create unified platforms that deliver operational efficiency and brand independence. Organizations using our multi-brand approach see immediate cost savings through shared infrastructure while accelerating time-to-market for new brand initiatives and promotional campaigns.

Whisky Auctioneer screen shot 1

Case Study - Three Brands, One Platform

Drupal Commerce powers a scalable, global auction platform for three brands (Whisky Auctioneer, Rum Auctioneer, and Wine Auctioneer). Each brand supports two distinct stores (UK vs. EU), each with different fees, tax calculations, shipping options, and compliance requirements.

Read the Whisky Auctioneer case study

How Drupal Commerce Powers Multi-brand Success

Unified Data Architecture Wrenches icon Intelligent Cart Management eCommerce icon Content Marketing at Scale Scalable icon

Unified Data Architecture with Brand Independence

Unlike traditional ecommerce platforms that require separate installations for each brand, Drupal Commerce enables multiple stores and storefronts to operate from a single, unified database.

  • Multiple independent stores within one application, each with distinct branding, catalogs, and business rules.
  • Flexible storefront management supporting any combination of domains and subdomains.
  • Centralized product and customer data with brand-specific access controls and visibility rules.
  • Unified order management with brand-specific fulfillment workflows.

Intelligent Cart Management

Default behavior: One shopping cart per store, keeping brands completely separate.

Custom cart resolution: We can configure shared carts across brands, enabling cross-selling opportunities while maintaining proper fulfillment workflows.

Example: A customer shops for a kayak on one subdomain, then adds fishing equipment from another subdomain—all in one cart. Upon checkout, the system automatically creates separate shipments for each brand's fulfillment center.

Content Marketing at Scale

We can provide brand-specific component libraries with approved colors, typography, and layouts that enable:

  • Rapid landing page creation for campaigns
  • Cross-brand content promotion where appropriate
  • Editorial control within guardrails giving marketers flexibility without violating brand guidelines

Real-World Applications

Multi-brand commerce requires solving complex business problems that arise when organizations scale across products, markets, and customer segments. Here are the most common scenarios where Drupal Commerce can deliver measurable impact.

Cross-Border Commerce

Multi-brand organizations often operate in different markets with unique requirements. Our platform intelligently adapts to local market conditions while maintaining operational consistency across regions.

Currency resolution

Automatic pricing in local currencies based on domain or other factors.

Geographic product availability

Region-specific catalogs that show different products based on fulfillment requirements or regulatory compliance.

Local system integration

Connections to regional accounting systems, tax authorities, and fulfillment partners without disrupting global operations.

Complex Fulfillment Workflows

Different brands often require different operational approaches based on product types and customer expectations. Drupal Commerce can route orders, or even different products in the same cart, through appropriate fulfillment channels.

Freight shipping integration

Specialized handling for heavy equipment and large items requiring freight carriers, with automated quote generation and delivery scheduling.

Standard shipping pptimization

Traditional small package shipping with carrier rate shopping and real-time tracking for consumer goods.

Digital product delivery

Instant fulfillment for software, licenses, and digital content with automatic provisioning and access management.

Drop-ship coordination

Direct manufacturer fulfillment with inventory synchronization and order routing to appropriate suppliers.

Marketing Campaign Acceleration

Enable rapid campaign deployment while maintaining brand integrity and measuring cross-brand performance. Marketing teams can leverage shared component libraries to build pages while maintaining brand-specific messaging and targeting.

Cross-brand promotions

Coordinated holiday campaigns that maintain brand voice while leveraging shared promotional infrastructure and discount logic.

Unified customer data

Single customer profiles across brands enable sophisticated personalization without compromising privacy or brand boundaries.

Cross-brand recommendations

Strategic product suggestions that introduce customers to complementary brands within your portfolio.

Consolidated analytics and reporting

Executive dashboards showing performance across all brands while maintaining brand-specific insights for local teams.

Some Technical Architectures We Deliver

Single Application, Multiple Domains

Best for: Organizations wanting shared technology with brand autonomy.

  • One Drupal Commerce installation
  • Domain-based store resolution (brand1.company.com or www.brand2.com)
  • Shared product database with brand-specific catalogs
  • Optional cross-brand cart sharing
  • Separate fulfillment workflows per brand or product

Benefits:

  • Lower total cost of ownership
  • Immediate feature sharing across brands
  • Centralized maintenance and security
  • Cross-selling opportunities

Headless Commerce

Best for: Large conglomerates with existing brand websites, all on different technologies.

  • Drupal Commerce as backend
  • JavaScript libraries to retrofit existing brand sites with e-commerce functionality
  • REST API integration for cart, checkout, and order management
  • Turnkey deployment across hundreds of brands

Benefits:

  • No need to replatform existing websites
  • Corporate-controlled commerce capabilities
  • Consistent checkout experiences
  • Single source of truth for order management

Site Templates With Site Portfolio Management

Best for: Organizations deploying new brand sites regularly.

  • Custom Drupal platform with pre-configured integrations and reports
  • Quick deployment to approved hosting platforms
  • Updates can be deployed across all brand instances
  • New features can be developed once and rolled out to all instances

Benefits:

  • Rapid brand deployment
  • Decentralized control while maintaining consistent security and compliance
  • Shared innovation across brands
  • Brand-specific customization capabilities

How Drupal Commerce Surpasses the Alternatives

Other platforms offer multi-brand features, but they come with significant limitations that become costly as you scale.

Shopify Markets

While Shopify offers multi-domain capabilities through Markets, it has limitations:

  • Limited app compatibility (only 20% of apps support multi-storefront)
  • No shared cart functionality across markets
  • Theme limitations prevent true brand differentiation
  • Content management gaps require separate CMS integration

BigCommerce Multi-Storefront Constraints

BigCommerce offers multi-storefront features, but:

  • Additional licensing costs for enterprise features
  • App marketplace restrictions for multi-storefront environments
  • Limited customization compared to Drupal's architecture
     

Why Choose Drupal Commerce

Drupal Commerce delivers what SaaS platforms can't: complete control over your data architecture and business logic without artificial limitations. We provide unified content and commerce in one system, backed by enterprise-grade security and performance. Avoid vendor lock-in and gain the power to adapt as your business evolves.

Ready to streamline digital commerce for all of your brands?

Our team has built multi-brand solutions for organizations ranging from university research institutions to international conglomerates. We understand both the technical challenges and the organizational dynamics that make these projects successful.

Contact us