RetailT
echnology
push, Morrison’s had earlier acquired UK online children’s clothing and accessories
Kiddicare.com with the intent of leveraging both the technical infrastructure, which includes IBM WebSphere e-commerce, and its physical infrastructure (warehousing, distribution network, etc.) for entry to other online market segments. (Morrisons acquires Kiddicare,
RetailTechnology.co.uk, 15 February 2011) ThoughtWorks technology leads and
developers with user interface design, web development and enterprise system integration experience worked with Morrisons to build and test a complete set of backend services linking to both Morrisons and
Kiddicare.com systems for logistics, payments, customer accounts and other key functions. The mobile website was built on a
simple micro-web framework constructed over Java servlets, all hosted inside a Tomcat container. Other tools used included StringTemplate, JQuery and HTML 5 Mobile Boilerplate. A typical
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stack of JUnit and WebDriver was used for testing. The website was backed by a set of
RESTful services constructed with Jersey and hosted inside the Tomcat container that were designed to be re-used for future Morrisons online activity. Other tools used were Jackson for the JSON output and PicoContainers. And a stack of JUnit and RestAssured was used for testing. The new services layer and the internal
knowledge gained from the Morrisons Cellar project is helping the retailer launch into additional online market segments. “ThoughtWorks’ ability to integrate
the new online applications with our enterprise architecture was critical. We know there are small shops able to churn out mobile applications in a very short time. But, for an enterprise of our scale, mobile development is analogous to an iceberg. The mobile front-end – what everyone sees – is just the tip, the part above the water. But that’s just a small part of the complexity of building the overall
application,” stated Ken Platt, Morrisons head of multichannel e-commerce delivery. ThoughtWorks and Morrisons are now
building an Innovation and Development Centre in Manchester to build out its multichannel business. Updating the market on its plans late
last year, Morrisons stated that its online fresh food proposition was in place, while the ranging and marketing plan has been finalised and the technology platform and integration were nearing completion. It added that the service would have low substitution rates as a result of its distribution tie-up with Ocado, which will eliminate the need to pick from its stores. Dalton Philips, Morrisons chief
executive, said at the time: “We continue to grow our sales in this tough market while making great progress on our strategy to be a multichannel retailer. I said at the outset that our online offer would be unmistakably Morrisons and I’m very confident that the service we unveil in January will live up to that promise.”
Winter 2014 53
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