PDA Group: From traditional watches to digital innovation

About PDA Group

The PDA Group traces its origins back to 1956 when Isaac Arbeid started a wholesale business in watches and clocks from his home on Jekerstraat in Amsterdam. Through jewelers, he sold watches under his own brand label Olympic and clocks under the brands Haid and Hermle. Since 1986, the second generation has taken over, and I. Arbeid Uurwerken has become part of the PDA Group, which includes other industry-related companies.

Their passion and love for watches and jewelry run deep in their family business, where continuity, involvement, loyalty, cooperation, flexibility, and innovation are highly valued. In 2021, they were one of the three nominees for the Zaanse Entrepreneurs Award and received the Zaanse Youth Award.

The third generation is now working within the company and exploring whether they want to continue the business in the future. In recent years, they have grown into a leading player in the mid-range segment of the jewelry industry and closely collaborate with several online providers of watches and jewelry.

The PDA Group is led by Paul Arbeid, son of Isaac Arbeid, and Jacqueline Stad, who has been a member of the PDA Group's management since 2016.

The search for a platform with extensive wholesale functionalities

PDA Group sought a new eCommerce platform because their previous one no longer met their growing needs and ambitions. The platform offered limited functionalities and had inefficient integrations with their ERP and PIM systems, leading to operational issues and a cumbersome content management experience. Adjustments in the webshop structure and managing content were time-consuming and difficult. Additionally, the previous system was not flexible enough to support the specific demands of their wholesale activities. As a result, PDA Group looked for a partner who could provide a platform with extensive wholesale functionalities, better integrations, and a more user-friendly CMS, which ultimately led them to CloudSuite.

The results

Improved customer experience

Thanks to CloudSuite's user-friendly interface and advanced functionalities, customers can navigate and make purchases on the webshop more easily. This has led to positive customer feedback and an improved overall shopping experience.

Strong support and collaboration

The collaboration with CloudSuite during the implementation and launch was very positive. The extensive support and risk assessment ensured a smooth transition and effective problem-solving, contributing to a successful launch of the new platform.

Increased revenue

Although exact figures are difficult to isolate due to the pandemic (which saw a shift from offline to online purchases due to the lockdowns), PDA Group has observed clear growth in online sales since transitioning to CloudSuite. The enhanced functionalities and customer-centric approach of the webshop have contributed to this increase in revenue.

Preparation for further growth

The implementation of CloudSuite has enabled PDA Group to prepare for expansions, such as the recent opening of a new branch in Belgium. The platform's flexibility and scalability allow them to seamlessly meet new requirements and regulations without the need to open separate domains.

Used CloudSuite features

PDA Group utilizes several interesting features of the CloudSuite eCommerce platform:

Real-time pricing

CloudSuite retrieves prices at the customer level directly from the ERP system instead of working with fixed price lists. This ensures that customers always see the most up-to-date and accurate prices.

Relevance module

This module enables PDA Group to segment their customers and offer them a personalized experience. They plan to further enhance personalization by implementing a Customer Data Platform.

Headless eCommerce

The headless architecture of CloudSuite provides PDA Group with the flexibility to connect standalone systems and configure their webshop according to their own preferences, without the limitations of a traditional eCommerce solution.

Integrations PDA Group with the CloudSuite platform

PDA Group maakt gebruik van onderstaande integraties met het CloudSuite platform. Integraties zijn mede mogelijk gemaakt door WCG

Ambitions PDA Group

Personalization and Efficiency
To expand their B2C activities, they eventually plan to integrate the B2C segment into CloudSuite. These activities are currently still spread across various Lightspeed shops.

Optimization and Automation
Through the integration of a Customer Data Platform (CDP) and other advanced technologies, PDA Group aims to further automate and personalize their webshop.

Improving Customer Experience
By enhancing the user experience of the webshop, they want to ensure that customers can navigate more easily and find what they need faster.

PDA Group

From traditional watches to digital innovation with CloudSuite.

About PDA Group

Highlights

B2B

Headless

Active in

Real-time