How SmartBuyGlasses Achieved 150x Team Productivity Through Innovative 3P Commerce with Rithum

THE CHALLENGE 

Founded in 2006, SmartBuyGlasses is an online eyewear retailer that sells to consumers in more than 30 countries worldwide.  As the company expanded, the primary challenge was finding a scalable and efficient way to enter new marketplaces while managing an extensive product catalog. To address this, SmartBuyGlasses sought a solution to streamline operations, automate features, and simplify offering its wide range of products to international customers across multiple platforms.   

Cross-border e-commerce requires managing inventory, product information and catalogue translations. SmartBuyGlasses’ product catalogues include more than 100,000 SKUs and to sell via third-party (3P) commerce, they were building new APIs in-house for each marketplace it wanted to sell on. This manual process was part of a complex system that required significant resources to operate and wasn’t scalable. They had employees manually managing each channel’s stock, listings, and integrations, which was time-consuming and came with many limitations. For instance, the SmartBuyGlasses team could only manage 30 daily listings in some marketplaces. As a result, monitoring and adhering to each marketplace’s changing requirements became more and more complex as the online retailer grew.   

“Managing marketplaces without Rithum was like navigating a complex web of disconnected systems—inefficient, error-prone, and unsustainable at scale.” Bulut Tanrisever, Head of Global Marketplaces at SmartBuyGlasses. 

THE SOLUTION 

SmartBuyGlasses turned to Rithum’s self-service marketplace solution to automate its multichannel selling strategy and overcome this challenge. Through the Rithum platform, they expanded their reach into additional marketplaces in the APAC, European, and American regions. In July 2024, they were also able to begin selling in more new regions through 3P marketplaces, where they didn’t have a direct-to-consumer website. 

“We chose Rithum for its multinational coverage, ability to scale and strong support services. The platform’s extensive integrations and global presence made it the ideal solution for efficiently scaling our business across multiple regions.”  

– Bulut Tanrisever, Head of Global Marketplaces, SmartBuyGlasses

Leveraging the platform’s extensive network of over 420 marketplaces and retail sites, it steadily increased its marketplace presence.

Rithum’s seamless integration with SmartBuyGlasses’ internal order and warehouse management systems further supported the growth. This allowed for an automated, cohesive workflow that efficiently handled everything from inventory updates to orders and shipments. 

Rithum’s self-service marketplace option is also easy for SmartBuyGlasses’ employees to use further aiding the integration. The learning curve wasn’t steep, and employees didn’t need prior knowledge of how marketplace integrations work to use it efficiently.   This enabled Bulut Tanrisiver, the Head of Global Marketplaces at SmartBuyGlasses, to quickly familiarise himself with Rithum’s features. He now relies on them daily for tasks such as monitoring sales, assigning new products, adjusting prices, and updating listings.  

“When I first stepped into this role, I lacked the technical background to navigate Rithum. But after just a few months, with Rithum’s support, I became confident using the tool. I mastered it and now launch on any marketplace within 24 to 48 hours,” said Tanrisever.  

The swift learning curve was enabled by Rithum’s customer support. Whenever Bulut Tanrisever needed assistance, the Rithum team responded promptly, streamlining the learning process and quickly resolving any issues.  

“Rithum’s exceptional customer service and support were significant deciding factors for us. They’re always there when I need them.” 

THE RESULTS 

SmartBuyGlasses is now active on many marketplaces. These include eBay, Rakuten, Catch, and Trade Me. The online retailer offers between 8,000 and 12,000 products on each marketplace and plans to expand further in Europe and America.  

The company achieved 150x team productivity by using Rithum. This was achieved using the Rithum for Brands platform, which enabled more detailed and visually enhanced product listings with multiple images. In Australia, they increased listings from 1,000 to 8,000 and launched faster into more marketplaces in the summer of 2024. 

“Our journey with Rithum has been incredible so far. With Rithum, we’ve been able to streamline our entire marketplace operation, allowing us to focus on growth without worrying about the backend complexity.” 

– Tony Zhang, CIO and Co-Founder, SmartBuyGlasses

The impact of Rithum’s platform is particularly evident in SmartBuyGlasses’ success on Trade Me, where, before the partnership, the company listed around 1,500 SKUs. It now lists almost 15,000 SKUs, a remarkable 10x increase. Increased product listings are critical for SmartBuyGlasses‘ success as they directly influence store traffic, drive sales, and help grow the business. 

“By integrating Rithum into our marketplace management, we’ve achieved a remarkable 93.75% reduction in the time required to list 100 products. What previously took as much as two business days can now be accomplished in just one hour, massively enhancing our team’s efficiency and enabling us to scale our operations more effectively than ever before,” Tanrisever said.

SmartBuyGlasses’ remarkable growth highlights the transformative impact of its partnership with Rithum, which has turned marketplace management into a strategic driver of success. Together, they have streamlined complex processes, unlocked rapid scalability, and achieved extraordinary results. This collaboration showcases how the right tools and expertise can empower businesses to navigate and overcome cross-border challenges, expand rapidly, and redefine success in the competitive landscape of global e-commerce. 

COMPANY OVERVIEW 

SmartBuyGlasses, founded in 2006, is one of the world’s largest designer eyewear e-commerce companies. With a presence in Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, the eyewear e-retailer has more than 15 years of experience in the industry. It has taken a leadership position in more than 30 countries worldwide and offers an extensive range of eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses at accessible prices. 

Its mission: To help people see and be healthy regardless of their budget. A mission achieved through an integrated supply chain, close relationships with some of the world’s leading eyewear distributors, technological innovation, in-house opticians, and careful consideration of their customers’ needs.