The focus was on repositioning the existing subscription shops for DER SPIEGEL and manager magazin. Together with our partner opensubs, the goal was to replace the two shops’ historically grown structures with a modern platform that would noticeably ease the editorial team’s day-to-day work. We needed a solution capable of mapping a wide range of bespoke logic, as the requirements simply couldn’t be met with an off-the-shelf shop. Both brands were to be brought together in one central backend to simplify administration and create a solid technical foundation for the subscription business.
The complexity came, first, from interlocking a legacy subscription system with a modern subscription platform like Frisbii in a way that they work cleanly together behind the scenes. Our role was also to integrate these layers so users enjoy a seamless front-end experience while the team retains full control in the backend.
The logic was anything but standard. The challenge: implementing rules for countdown elements, country-specific incentives, and dynamic modules all the way through to checkout – tailored precisely to each brand.
We used Shopware 6 as a smart shopfront to fully leverage the strengths of Shopping Experiences. Given a number of specific requirements, this wasn’t an off-the-shelf solution – it was a setup tailored precisely to subscription sales.
Specifically, this means:
Since go-live, the shop has proven its resilience in day-to-day operations. For the teams, that means one thing above all: campaigns and new offers now reach where they belong – directly to customers, without technical detours. The shop has become a real lever for the digital subscription business, delivering exactly what both brands promise, visually and technically.
The fact that the setup is so stable today is largely down to how we tackled the project together: we didn’t let up, refined interfaces until everything fit – and still delivered on time. Simply because the collaboration worked, both personally and professionally. The foundation for the continued development of the digital subscription strategy is in place. The partnership continues, and the conversation has shifted from “that won’t work” to “what do we do next?”.
In deep mourning, we take leave of our company founder, friend and mentor
Erich-Michael Klass
April 2021
It was an honor to work with you and to write our company history together with you. You were a remarkable person and a great personality. We all liked you incredibly much.
You are and will forever be on our team and in our hearts. Where you always liked to be and where we always wanted you to be. Where you often said, "Let's go forward!". We will continue to do so in the future, dear Erich. Promise.
Your #mastersteam
