Last Updated on 22. September 2025 by mgm-marketing
Why not rebuild everything from scratch?
Many retailers face the same challenge: their digital infrastructure has evolved over time. While the core remains stable, the front end is no longer up to date. Although a full replatforming would create a clean break, it comes with high costs, long project timelines and considerable risks.
In recent years, a different approach has gained traction: rather than replacing systems all at once, they are modernised step by step. This approach opens up new opportunities in the front end in particular, without putting ongoing operations at risk.
Retrofit instead of replatforming.
One practical example illustrates this approach: Udo Bär, a leading supplier of industrial equipment, warehouse technology and office furnishings, kept its stable backend while gradually replacing the outdated frontend. The focus was on modern architecture, greater flexibility and an improved user experience.
The online shop now offers more than 100,000 products, ranging from shelving and packaging solutions to transport and safety equipment. The technical implementation followed a retrofit model: Storyblok was introduced as a headless front end, rolled out gradually alongside the existing system. For the company, this approach enabled them to quickly improve customer experience while reducing risks.
Initial Learnings
So far, four key success factors have emerged:
- A clear scope for the first modernisation stage
- Sticking to standards to avoid unnecessary integration effort
- Close collaboration between the business and IT departments to enable fast feedback cycles.
- Quick, iterative wins to secure management buy-in.
Günter Heiß and Jonas Vogel will present the detailed implementation, challenges and further learnings during their talk at the ibi E-Commerce Day.
24 September 2025, 1:45–2:15 pm.
"4x Faster to Go-Live: UDO BÄR’s Agile Path to a Modern Retail Frontend"
ibi E-Commerce Day: Exchange at Eye Level
The ibi E-Commerce Day brings together retailers, manufacturers, and technology partners, with a focus on real-world experiences and concrete use cases. We look forward to discussing the retrofit approach and engaging with participants.
ibi E-Commerce Day 2025, Jahnstadion Regensburg
Tickets for retailers and manufacturers: €279 plus VAT
