Commerce in flow: Pond Planet connects in-store and online with Shopify POS

Pond Planet has built a strong reputation for supplying high-quality pond, aquarium and water feature products to hobbyists and aquatic professionals across the UK. With both an online store and a physical retail presence, the business needed a way to connect the two, without compromising on customer experience or operational control.

Despite their success, there was a growing challenge beneath the surface. Their previous setup using Trimms alongside Visualsoft created a divide between in-store and online systems. Stock, pricing and promotions had to be updated separately. In-store customers weren’t tied to names or email addresses, meaning the business couldn’t identify regular buyers, track offline purchases or communicate post-sale.

It was clear they needed a single platform that connected every part of the customer journey, from website, to till, to marketing.

One system, every channel

The solution was to migrate both eCommerce and in-store activity to Shopify, using Shopify POS to connect sales, stock and customer data in real time. Visualsoft led the transition end-to-end, not just technically, but practically.

To make it work smoothly, we:

• Configured Shopify POS to match Pond Planet’s in-store workflows, including tills, user permissions and compatible apps
• Worked alongside their network provider to ensure stable internet and till connectivity
• Delivered full staff training and on-site go-live support, reducing disruption and building confidence from day one
• Implemented new processes for capturing customer emails at the till, linking in-store purchases to individual profiles
• Provided post-launch optimisation and guidance on loyalty, CRM use and best-practice customer data management

This wasn’t just a platform switch, it was a system-wide upgrade designed to align operations, data and customer experience under one roof.