B2B payments: how Castellani Shop used our credit card and MyBank solutions to boost sales
Today we share the story of Castellani Srl, a well-known Tuscan furniture manufacturer for various B2B business, and how they've used the MultiSafepay solutions to enter the B2B market with success. In this interview, Bernardo Castellani, Ecommerce Manager of Castellani Srl, goes over the milestones of his company's history. We discover what can be the challenges, but also the solutions and the related satisfaction, in the B2B ecommerce payments world.
The merchant and his story
Castellani was founded in 1962 by Bernardo's grandfather and taken over by his parents in 2000. As a true family business, it's now also managed by Bernardo and his two brothers.
Castellani's main unique selling point is that they manage the entire product development chain in-house, and that they provide furniture that's durable, artfully crafted, and easy to install.
Additionally, Bernardo points out: “Direct sales is one of the aspects that distinguishes us from our competitors. As is the fact that 90% of the products we have in our catalog are of our production. We are particularly keen on using only Italian raw materials, and we only offer guaranteed and certified products, as well as holding numerous certifications as a company, such as the quality management system”. Made in Italy, with its high reliability and quality standards, it is a primary value for Castellani.
The other company's specific points include:
- Providing bespoke consultancy.
- Offering furniture on prompt delivery, which arrives at the customer's site via dedicated shippers.
- Using safe and branded packaging that protects the integrity of the products 100%.
- Free shipping.
The launch of the B2B ecommerce channel
A significant milestone in the history of the Tuscan company is, of course, the launch of the B2B ecommerce channel Castellanishop.it. It is 2010, and Bernardo and his team realize that some of their main competitors are already taking their first steps into the online world.
The creation of the webshop represents a natural breaking point, which overturns all the previous company dynamics: "Up to that point, we only sold in the Tuscany area and had a network of sales agents throughout the country and assembly teams. But things changed a lot after the launch of the ecommerce channel. Online customers became our priority. We could dispense with the sales agents' business and streamline all the production, warehousing, and shipping stages. Stock management has also changed since we now work a lot on commission thanks to the efficiency of the new machines".
Initially, the webshop was only supposed to be an alternative sales channel. But it soon turned out to be an excellent way to accommodate the needs of B2B targets and to further expand into niche markets. "Since then, we have made it our main sale channel, investing most of our resources. Today, we can say that we joined the online world at the right time. If we had not embarked on our digital journey, we would have remained a small local business without too many growth aspirations".
Payments for B2B ecommerce businesses: our solutions for Castellani Shop
The collaboration with MultiSafepay started for a specific reason. When Bernardo and his team noticed that their payment platform did not give guarantees of support and operability on the Magento 1 platform, they realized it was time to rely on a payment service provider.
"We needed an alternative, and that's how I found you and met Stefano Calce, Business Development Manager for the Italian market at MultiSafepay, with whom I established an excellent relationship.
You gave us the right solution: MultiSafepay acted as a bridge between the customer and us, allowing payment by credit card without using PayPal. Thus, we agreed with a more flexible partner that allowed us to integrate different payment methods that we didn't have before, such as immediate online transfer (via MyBank). And, above all, we have increased credit card payments, at lower cost and benefiting from a better service for our customers".
As Bernardo underlines, this is combined with the advantage of using a simple and intuitive dashboard, which means that the merchant can act autonomously directly from the backend whenever a change is needed. Also, the opportunity to offer practical and alternative solutions such as payment links: "It is beneficial to send a link to the customer who has just built their quote on the site and have them confirm the payment immediately”.
And finally, the smoothness of the processes: “We have never experienced any payment friction, and we know that, even if this ever happens, we can count on your quick and timely support service.
In MultiSafepay, we found a flexible partner that allowed us to integrate different payment methods that we didn't have before, such as instant online bank transfers. And most importantly, we have increased credit card payments, benefiting from lower costs and better service for our customers.
Overcome challenges with MultiSafepay support
Today, most instant payment transactions made at Castellani Shop occur via MultiSafepay.
The classic bank transfer is still prevalent in the B2B, but Bernardo confirms that card payments are superior to those made via PayPal.
"The only challenge we faced in the past, which we largely overcame, concerned the online transfer with Sofort. It used to happen that customers experienced friction during payment, but this has entirely changed since we introduced MyBank. A product that our users appreciate and use”.
The other important innovation for the merchant was the opportunity of integrating payments with American Express, which in the B2B world is an essential payment method.
According to Castellani, security is another one of the main benefits of working with MultiSafepay. In particular, the merchant underlines the importance of not having to directly manage sensitive customer data. It's great to let the customer know that their sensitive data is handled by a third party that has all the licenses and qualifications to handle it properly. "This is an essential point for B2B users because 90% of them use a business credit card, and they require purchase to be as secure as possible”.
Castellani Shop and MultiSafepay, a successful partnership
With over 100 million euros turnover in 2022, Castellani once again confirms its growth trend of 20-25% per year. The company totals approximately 400 orders every month, with an average shopping cart value of between EUR 800 and EUR 1100.
"We do about ¾ of our transactions via MultiSafepay. Since we have been working with you, payments via PayPal have decreased. I also notice that B2B customers increasingly prefer purchasing by card over bank transfer (which usually takes longer). And when we receive payment via MultiSafepay, we can process the order more quickly, especially if it is made by card immediately or via MyBank”.
When we receive payment via MultiSafepay, we can process the order faster, especially if it is paid by card or with MyBank. This allows us to maintain company standards in terms of orders and production and to meet delivery times fully.
So, a more than positive balance. But that is not all. The success of the collaboration between Castellani and MultiSafepay also springs from other important facilitations: "Commission fees are lower with MultiSafepay. With PayPal, we were incurring higher costs, so even though PayPal was going strong at the time, we received fewer credit card transactions than when we started working with you. Also, we only offered bank transfers, PayPal, and cards at checkout. With MultiSafepay, the customer can choose from more payment methods and credit card options.
Moreover, if the customer sees that the product he wants to buy is in stock, he knows that he can receive it faster by paying by card.”
In addition, Castellani Shop has just recently switched to Magento 2.
This platform has undeniable advantages for merchants: firstly, it allows the payment process to be integrated directly into the checkout, giving a significant boost to conversions. Magento 2 also gives access to even more local and international payment methods, which help to create a payment experience that matches perfectly their customers' preferences.
Ambition, transparency, and perseverance
This successful story shows that, to reach your goals, you need ambition, and courage, in addition to know-how and resources. These are all attributes that Bernardo and his team do not lack, allowing them to explore and learn something new every day. This is why the Italian entrepreneur has considerable experience to share with those taking their first steps in the B2B ecommerce business world: "I always advise putting the customer first and offering them solutions (also about payments) that facilitate them. Facilitating the customer means ensuring he encounters as little friction as possible when using the website. For instance, we run continuous CRO analyses on our online shop to identify difficulties the user may encounter when placing an order or viewing pages. This is also why we have set up a co-visitor chat on the site, to follow the customer in navigation and to provide him with the best possible support.
Another thing that has always benefited us, which works particularly well in the B2B ecommerce world, is focusing on a niche market. Being specialized in a product niche makes the customer recognize you as an expert and reliable producer for that particular industry”.
Focus on the customer, transparency, and the ability to 'put your face to it' are all essential attributes that have always rewarded Castellani. And even if, as Bernardo admits, it takes work to identify the right services to offer, especially in the B2B market, being able to do so means ensuring success. And an excellent percentage of return customers.
