Powering purpose through eCommerce

Girlguiding is the UK’s leading charity for girls and young women, with over 40,000 active members and a vast volunteer network. As part of a major programme relaunch, they needed a powerful, intuitive eCommerce platform to support both their mission and their trading arm—an essential revenue stream for the charity’s growth.

Element78 partnered with Girlguiding to design and deliver a scalable digital shop that could serve a diverse audience, integrate with complex systems, and evolve alongside the organisation’s ambitions.

We began with an in-depth discovery phase to understand Girlguiding’s operational and digital ecosystem. This included:

• Identifying dual user groups: B2C (parents/guardians) and B2B (regional leaders/groups).
• Mapping integrations with bespoke warehouse and finance systems.
• Defining performance, scalability, and security requirements.

This groundwork ensured the solution was not only fit for purpose but future-proof.

We were originally presented with agreed professional designs by Girlguiding, which we used to build from. Our team have subsequently worked to ensure:

• Embodiment of the Girlguiding brand—vibrant, inclusive, and empowering.
• Streamlining journeys for both casual shoppers and group leaders.
• Support for a wide product range, from uniforms and badges to gifts and equipment.

The result was a consistent, engaging experience across all devices and user types.

We built a fully integrated eCommerce platform using Ucommerce on Umbraco CMS, featuring:

• Custom B2C and B2B views with account-based purchasing and group order tools.
• Seamless integration with warehouse and operational systems.
• High-performance hosting and enterprise-grade security.

Since launch in 2018, we’ve continued to enhance the platform with UX research, data-driven improvements and a full integration with a new back-office system—ensuring it evolves with the charity’s needs.