Flexible, Fast, & Footwear-Focused The Automation Behind Soletrader’s Marketplace

As one of the UK’s longest-standing footwear retailers, Soletrader has built a name synonymous with high-quality brands and distinctive style. But staying competitive in a digital-first world takes more than just great inventory—it takes innovation, speed, and technology that keeps up. That’s exactly what Jamie Bordon, Head of Ecommerce at Soletrader, is focused on.

With over 30 brick-and-mortar stores and a growing ecommerce operation, Soletrader is leaning into the future of retail by building out a marketplace model, and Flxpoint is helping them do it. In a recent interview on the Modern Merchant Podcast, Jamie shares how the team is tackling challenges in modern retail, the tech behind their new headless site, and why they believe automation and flexibility are non-negotiable for success today.

From Traditional Retailer to Digital Marketplace

Soletrader is no stranger to footwear retail. “We’re based in the UK. We have around about 30 brick and mortar retail stores selling primarily footwear, multi-brand retail stores,” he explains. In addition to their physical presence, the company also operates its own ecommerce websites and sells on third-party marketplaces.

But as fashion and apparel brands shift toward direct-to-consumer (DTC) models, the dynamics of being a reseller have changed. “What we need to do and what we try to do is provide something different for our customers,” he explains.

That means creating an experience—and a product mix—that stands out in a world where top brands sell directly to shoppers. “We picked up very early on certain key brands that we had quite a bit before our competitors… We enjoy our independent spirit really.”

That independent spirit is now being channeled into building a platform of their own—one where brands can reach Soletrader’s audience directly. Enter: their marketplace.

And so far, the platform has lived up to its name. “[Flxpoint] seems to be built really well and with the thought of, let’s try and build this in a way that it will solve problems that we haven’t thought of yet,” he summarizes.

Follow in Soletrader’s foot prints and chat with Flxpoint today.

A Hands-Off System That Just Works

Once integrations are up and running, Soletrader lets automation do the rest. “If we’ve done our job well… then we shouldn’t have to get involved too much and everything is automated [via Flxpoint],” he says.

This behind-the-scenes magic allows the team to stay focused on bigger-picture goals—like their upcoming launch of a fully composable, headless ecommerce site.

Building for Performance and Composability

Soletrader’s next move is a major one. “We’re almost done building a fully composable headless site,” Jamie reveals. “The ecommerce engine will be BigCommerce. We’re using Storyblok for content management and Algolia for search and product indexing.”

Even with a relatively small dev team, Jamie believes composable architecture is the right move: “You find that for different functions, you need different tools. So there’s no one size fits all one system for all of it. And really that’s where the world is going,” he says.

Flxpoint fits right into this modular approach for SMBs and enterprise brands. “It really does its specialist function, which is connecting us to our marketplace vendors, and does that really well.”

The Modern Merchant Mindset

So what defines a modern merchant in today’s landscape? For Jamie, it’s about adaptability. “The barriers for entry are becoming much lower… it’s becoming much easier,” he says.
“With composability… and being able to write and do small functions in of themselves… it makes things much quicker and allows you to pretty much do anything.”

And while the tools are critical, the mindset matters just as much. “As much as possible, we try to never be able to say that we can’t do that, that’s too hard or that’s going to take too long.” 

It’s a philosophy that’s powering Soletrader’s next chapter—from beloved brick-and-mortar brand to future-focused ecommerce platform. And with Flxpoint helping automate and simplify the most complex parts, they’re building that future one integration at a time.

Flexibility That Fuels the Future

With Flxpoint powering its marketplace behind the scenes, Soletrader is ready for whatever comes next—whether it’s onboarding new vendors, launching new technology, or expanding customer reach. 

“Everything’s possible,” Jamie says—and with flexible automation and seamless integrations in place, Soletrader is proving it every day.

Ready to build your own modern marketplace—without the tech headaches? Let Flxpoint handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business.