Capper Trading

Capper Trading, a well-established fuel and agricultural supplier, faced the complex challenge of modernising their sales operations to serve a diverse customer base across both local and international markets. As a traditional supplier dealing in heating oil, coal, and animal feed products, they needed to transition from phone-based orders to a sophisticated online platform that could handle their unique operational requirements. The complexity of their business model presented several technical challenges: managing different product types with varying specifications (from liquid heating oil with custom delivery configurations to bulk animal feed requiring pallet-based shipping calculations), supporting dual currency transactions to serve customers in both Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, and automating complex delivery logistics that varied significantly between product categories.

The company's existing manual processes were becoming increasingly inefficient as demand grew, particularly for heating oil deliveries which required specific volume calculations, delivery scheduling, and geographic routing. Their product range spanning multiple departments – from coal for different stove types to specialised animal feeds for various livestock – each demanded different product presentation, pricing structures, and shipping methodologies. Without an integrated e-commerce solution, Capper Trading was missing opportunities to serve customers outside traditional business hours and struggling to manage inventory across their diverse product categories efficiently.

The challenge was compounded by the need to maintain their personalised customer service approach while scaling their operations. They required a platform that could handle the technical complexity of fuel delivery logistics (including minimum order quantities, delivery area restrictions, and seasonal pricing variations) while remaining user-friendly for customers who might be unfamiliar with online ordering for these traditionally offline products.

PrestaShop E-commerce Solution

We developed a comprehensive PrestaShop e-commerce platform for Capper Trading that addresses their complex multi-departmental business requirements. The solution features dual currency functionality supporting both GBP and EUR transactions, essential for serving customers across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Our team implemented custom product templates tailored to each department – from heating oil with bespoke delivery configurations to animal feed products with detailed specifications for different livestock requirements.

The platform's sophisticated shipping system represents a major technical achievement, incorporating custom delivery calculations that automatically adjust based on product type and customer location. We built pallet-based delivery calculations for bulk animal feed orders, while developing specialised oil delivery configurations that handle volume-based pricing, delivery scheduling, and geographic routing restrictions. This automated approach transforms Capper Trading's previously manual order processing into an efficient digital system that operates seamlessly outside traditional business hours.

Our e-commerce development included comprehensive product categorisation across coal types (open fires, closed fires, gravity fed boilers), animal feeds (beef, calf, cereals, sheep, poultry), and animal bedding solutions. The PrestaShop platform enables easy inventory management across these diverse categories while maintaining the personalised customer service approach that Capper Trading's established client base expects. The result is a scalable online presence that supports both local deliveries and international shipping requirements.

Beyond the core e-commerce functionality, we implemented additional features including customer account management, order tracking, and seasonal pricing variations to accommodate the cyclical nature of the fuel supply business. The platform integrates seamlessly with Capper Trading's existing operations while providing the foundation for future growth across their expanding product range and customer base.

PrestaShop Architecture and Multi-Currency Implementation

The technical foundation of Capper Trading's e-commerce platform leverages PrestaShop development to deliver a sophisticated dual-currency system supporting both GBP and EUR transactions. Our development team implemented custom currency switching functionality that maintains pricing accuracy across different product categories while handling complex exchange rate calculations for international customers. The platform architecture includes custom product templates tailored to each department – from heating oil with volume-based pricing to animal feed products requiring bulk order configurations – ensuring that each product type displays the most relevant information and purchasing options to customers.

Performance optimisation was achieved through strategic implementation of lazy loading for product images, efficient database queries for complex product variations, and streamlined checkout processes that handle the intricate shipping calculations required for different delivery methods. The platform integrates advanced shipping logic that automatically calculates pallet-based delivery costs for bulk animal feed orders while providing bespoke configuration options for heating oil deliveries, including minimum order quantities and geographic delivery zones. Security measures include HTTPS encryption throughout the entire customer journey, secure payment gateway integration, and robust data protection protocols essential for handling sensitive customer and transaction information in the fuel supply industry.

Notable technical implementations include custom oil delivery product configurators that dynamically adjust pricing based on delivery location and volume requirements, automated inventory management systems that sync across multiple product departments, and responsive design optimisation ensuring seamless functionality across desktop and mobile devices. The e-commerce solution incorporates schema markup for enhanced search engine visibility and includes comprehensive analytics tracking to monitor customer behaviour and conversion patterns across the diverse product range, enabling data-driven optimisation of the customer experience.

Capper Trading approached us with the complex challenge of creating a sophisticated PrestaShop e-commerce platform that could handle their diverse product range spanning heating oil, coal, and animal feed across multiple markets. As an established fuel and agricultural supplier serving customers in both the UK and Ireland, they required a robust platform with dual currency functionality (GBP/EUR) and highly customised product configurations to match their unique operational requirements. Our PrestaShop development expertise was perfectly suited to handle these complex multi-currency and multi-product challenges that traditional e-commerce platforms struggle to accommodate.

Custom Product Architecture and Department Management

Our development team created bespoke product templates for each of Capper Trading's distinct departments – coal products, heating oil, and animal feed – recognising that each category required fundamentally different presentation and ordering processes. The heating oil section features custom delivery configuration options that allow customers to specify precise volumes, delivery locations, and scheduling preferences, while the coal department uses categorised product templates optimised for different stove types and heating systems. This e-commerce solution ensures that customers can easily navigate between vastly different product types while maintaining a consistent user experience throughout their journey.

Advanced Shipping and Logistics Integration

We developed sophisticated shipping calculation systems that automatically determine delivery costs based on product type, with pallet-based calculations for bulk animal feed orders and specialised oil delivery pricing that factors in volume, location, and delivery method. The platform intelligently handles local delivery options for customers within Capper Trading's immediate service area while providing accurate shipping costs for national and international orders. This complex logistics framework required custom development work that goes far beyond standard PrestaShop functionality, creating a truly bespoke solution tailored to their agriculture and fuel supply business model.

Dual Currency Implementation and Market Expansion

The integrated GBP/EUR currency switching functionality enables Capper Trading to serve customers across both UK and Republic of Ireland markets seamlessly, with automatic currency detection and pricing adjustments that reflect local market conditions and delivery costs. Our team implemented this dual currency system throughout the entire customer journey, from initial product browsing through to checkout and payment processing, ensuring that customers see consistent pricing in their preferred currency. The platform's robust architecture supports this complexity while maintaining fast loading times and intuitive navigation, demonstrating the power of professional e-commerce platform development for businesses operating across multiple markets.

The completed platform transformed Capper Trading's operations from manual phone-based ordering to a fully automated online system that processes orders 24/7, manages complex inventory across multiple product categories, and provides customers with instant pricing and delivery information. This comprehensive PrestaShop solution positions Capper Trading as a modern, efficient supplier capable of serving both traditional agricultural customers and new digital-first buyers across Ireland and the UK, while maintaining the personalised service approach that built their reputation in the fuel and agricultural supply industry.