100 years of HEMA: From the very first reading book to millions of personalized orders

HEMA is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, a milestone we certainly won't let pass unnoticed. Since 2009, we have been working together to develop digital solutions that enable personalization for HEMA customers.

This partnership started seventeen years ago with an innovative challenge: digitalizing the personal experience. While we are completely used to complex configurators today, the technology back then was still very much in its infancy. It is the perfect moment to look back at how this collaboration has evolved over the years.

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The first step in personalization: The reading book (2009)

The collaboration between Orange Juice and HEMA began in 2009 with a project that was ahead of its time: the personalized reading book. Our colleagues Dion and Martin remember it well. At a time when digital personalization barely existed, we developed a solution that allowed parents to integrate their child's name and passport photo into a physical book. It laid the foundation for the way we still work together today: transforming complex organizational demands into technology that works for the customer. 

From static pages to a scalable e-commerce platform

Since 2009, the digital landscape has transformed beyond recognition, and the same goes for HEMA's platform. Our developers, Jordi and Michel, have been working closely with the HEMA team for over a decade and have seen the technology evolve firsthand. What started with simple, static landing pages for campaigns like Mother's Day expanded into a complete rebuild of the photo webshop.

The biggest shift was moving from a digital storefront to a fully-fledged e-commerce platform featuring its own CMS and complex order processing systems. As a result, the platform became the central link between HEMA and around 25 external partners. Today, the platform encompasses far more than just the webshop itself; its primary focus is maintaining stable connections with editors, suppliers, and warehouses to ensure orders are processed accurately and on time.

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Technical challenge: Managing peak traffic

With projects of this scale, challenges are inevitable. One of the biggest was handling massive spikes in visitor traffic. For HEMA, the days around Christmas or Mother's Day are the moments when the platform is under maximum load. While thousands of users are finishing their photo books at the exact same time, the website must remain fast and stable.

To manage this peak demand, we implemented solutions like smart queues and load balancing. This ensures traffic is distributed in a controlled manner, keeping the platform stable even during the busiest moments. For the user, the experience remains smooth and uninterrupted, regardless of the heavy traffic in the background.

The power of long-term collaboration

The difference between a one-off project and a long-term collaboration lies primarily in the accumulated knowledge and mutual trust. Years of history with the systems make it much easier to make the right technical decisions for the future today.

Additionally, the collaboration has become increasingly direct. Our developers communicate directly with the HEMA team, keeping lines of communication short. These short lines ensure that it no longer feels like working for a client, but truly together with a partner. As a result, it is no longer just about executing tasks; there is genuine room to proactively contribute ideas and look for new opportunities.

Curious about the possibilities?

Discover what Orange Juice can achieve as a digital partner for your organization. With expertise in web development and online marketing, we help businesses grow, innovate, and realize their online ambitions.
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