Endless Aisle¶

Also known as: Extended Catalogue Ordering | Classification: commerce-pattern

Context¶

A customer is in-store but the desired product is out of stock on the shelf, or is a size/colour variant not carried in that store. The retailer has the product in the full digital catalogue or in another location.

Forces¶

Force	Tension
Customer wants the product now	Store doesn't carry the variant or it's OOS locally
Retailer wants to convert the sale	Customer may leave to shop elsewhere
In-store device must access full catalogue	POS inventory only reflects local stock
Order must be placed from the store channel	Standard eComm UX may not suit in-store context

Solution¶

An in-store device (kiosk, tablet, associate app) presents the full digital catalogue. The customer selects the item and places an order. The order routes to the appropriate fulfilment node (warehouse or another store). The item is shipped to the customer's home address.

Sequence¶

sequenceDiagram
    participant C as Customer
    participant Kiosk as In-Store Device (Channel: store)
    participant PIM as Catalogue (PIM)
    participant SIM as Inventory (SIM)
    participant OMS
    participant PayHub as Payment Hub

    C->>Kiosk: Browse extended catalogue
    Kiosk->>PIM: Fetch full product catalogue
    PIM-->>Kiosk: Products not in local assortment
    C->>Kiosk: Select item + size + delivery address
    Kiosk->>SIM: Check online ATP (all nodes)
    SIM-->>Kiosk: Available at warehouse
    C->>Kiosk: Confirm order
    Kiosk->>PayHub: Process payment (card/contactless at kiosk)
    PayHub-->>Kiosk: Payment authorised
    Kiosk->>OMS: Create order (channel: store, fulfil: ship-to-home)
    OMS->>OMS: Route to optimal node (warehouse)
    OMS-->>C: Order confirmation + tracking

Business Objects¶

Object	Role	State Change
`catalogue`	Extended product range	accessed in read-only
`product`	Non-local SKU	`active` in digital catalogue
`channel`	In-store ordering touchpoint	`active`, `type: store`
`basket`	In-store transaction	`active` → `checked-out`
`order`	Ship-to-home order	`created` → `confirmed`

Capabilities Required¶

Capability	Minimum Level	Why
`catalogue-management`	🟨 3 — Integrated	Full catalogue accessible from store channel
`channel-management`	🟧 2 — Fragmented	In-store device configured as ordering channel
`basket-management`	🟨 3 — Integrated	In-store basket with home delivery options
`order-orchestration`	🟨 3 — Integrated	Route to fulfilment node outside the store
`inventory-visibility`	🟧 2 — Fragmented	Online ATP visible from store device

Trade-offs¶

BenefitsRisksKnown Issues

Converts potential lost sales into online revenue
Extends store selling surface without physical space investment
Drives home delivery revenue from store traffic

In-store device UX must be adapted for physical context (e.g. standing customers, limited screen time)
Associates need training to guide customers through extended catalogue ordering
Staff commission attribution between store and online channels must be resolved

Attribution conflict: revenue credited to online channel; store P&L sees no benefit, reducing associate motivation
Price consistency: in-store prices must match catalogue prices to avoid customer confusion

Process: endless-aisle
Validation Rules: endless-aisle-requires-active-channel