Online Shop: Sweet Treats Without Closing Hours

Results at a Glance

• A Distinctive Online Shop 
  The shop strengthens the Isabella Glutenfreie Pâtisserie brand, offers customers a high level of ordering convenience, and can be maintained easily and efficiently. ​

• Holistic Shopping Experience 
  Customers can order products online and pick them up directly at the patisserie. The end-to-end ordering process is fully scalable, making it easy to integrate new café locations.​
  

• High Acceptance & Analytics 
  Thanks to intensive training, management and employees quickly became confident in using the shop’s features. Analytics enable continuous optimization, including adjustments to the product portfolio.​

Why rising systems?

As a well-known digitalization partner in Düsseldorf, rising systems quickly connected with Isabella Glutenfreie Pâtisserie. During a joint workshop, combining ideas from the software developers with cakes from the patisserie, the concept for a new online shop was born. rising systems impressed as a solution provider that thinks beyond pure software development. The team contributed ideas for blog content and Instagram stories, suggested improvements in marketing and consistent product categories, and incorporated customer feedback constructively. The guiding principle: software is never an end in itself.

Online Shop: Sweet Treats Without Closing Hours

Around one percent of the population suffers from celiac disease, according to estimates by the German Celiac Society. Those affected cannot tolerate gluten, which is found in all common grains—and therefore in most pasta and baked goods. After her diagnosis, Isabella Krätz could not imagine a life without cakes, pastries, and macarons. She began experimenting with alternative gluten-free ingredients and developed her first creations for people with celiac disease. Shortly thereafter, she founded her family business—and struck a chord. Nutrition-conscious customers quickly embraced her products. The growing popularity of the brand made it clear that a professional, scalable digital sales channel was essential.

The online shop was designed not only to look premium, but also to support operational processes behind the scenes. Product categories were clearly structured, the checkout process optimized, and the system prepared for future growth. Customers benefit from a smooth, intuitive shopping experience, while the Isabella team can manage products, content, and locations efficiently—without technical complexity.

Phase two for the integrated platform

While the platform fulfilled its initial purpose, the market did not yet perceive the first version as a fully-fledged digital presence accompanying the fair. Peter Ebersbach explains: “Together with the client, we reviewed the solution and identified a number of development topics. There was still room for improvement in the customer experience, and usability for galleries could also be enhanced.” The user experience of the ad-hoc solution was thoroughly examined, making it quickly clear where improvements were needed in collaboration with ART COLOGNE. In particular, visitors lacked contextual background information about the displayed artworks, which initially appeared somewhat detached and without sufficient narrative framing.

The second version of the software also convinced Koelnmesse, under whose umbrella ART COLOGNE is organized. As a result, the platform was integrated into the fair’s overall digital presence. Unlike the first version, the platform is now online almost year-round and is no longer limited to professional audiences, but is publicly accessible. In 2023, more than 400 galleries from around the world applied to participate in Cologne. “With 170 exhibitors from 29 countries, we were represented at the same scale and strength as before the pandemic,” says Benjamin Agert.

Online Gallery Replaces the Catalog

Before the pandemic, the fair’s web presence was no longer state of the art. Today, the gallery platform has replaced the former online catalog and is fully integrated into the ART COLOGNE website. The platform provides detailed information about artists and artworks and introduces the participating galleries. The system is easy to maintain, allowing exhibitors to manage and edit their entries effortlessly. Each gallery may upload two artworks per approved artist, preventing an overload of content. “Participation in ART COLOGNE involves a rigorous selection process,” explains Daniel Hug. “This ensures the quality of the exhibited art. These high standards should also be reflected on the platform.” To support this, rising systems implemented a robust approval workflow: once galleries have successfully applied with specific artworks, they receive access to the platform and manage their content independently. 

Galleries can upload up to five images per artwork. These are initially displayed in lower resolution to ensure optimal platform performance. Only after each entry and all image files have been carefully reviewed by an external editor and art expert are they approved and published online. After the fair in November, exhibitors can continue to edit their artworks and use the platform as an after-sales channel. Unlike a traditional online shop, no direct sales take place on the platform. Instead, interested parties and sellers connect via an integrated chat function to initiate potential transactions.