I built a fully custom full-stack Shopify storefront for The Stable Book Group using Liquid, JavaScript, Node.js, and Express. I engineered a backend integration layer to ingest and sync over 2,000 SKUs from two publishing data sources — an ONIX XML feed for Ulysses Press and another XML feed for VeloPress. My approach focused on enabling real-time, automated product updates and delivering a scalable eCommerce infrastructure optimized for publishing workflows.
I developed custom code that parses XML files containing book data and imports the information into Shopify. Based on the content of each XML file, books are imported with either active or draft status, which is then reflected on the storefront along with key details such as title, description, price, and book-specific metadata.
This process runs automatically each day when the XML files are dropped into a secure SFTP folder. My system intelligently creates and updates products in Shopify accordingly, ensuring the storefront remains synchronized with the latest publishing data.
Additionally, the code manages the creation of Shopify metafields to store extended information including author names, biographies, additional works, book formats, pricing tiers, and more — enhancing the richness and accuracy of the product catalog.
I built a series of custom Shopify templates and components to enhance the user experience across the storefront.
This includes a dynamic collection carousel that lets users search from a list of collections and displays the collection name and all associated books by default. Both the collection name and subheading are easily editable through the UI for flexible content updates.
On the homepage, I developed a custom carousel that displays up to three of four slides simultaneously. One of these slides features an interactive vertical scroll within the carousel itself, allowing users to scroll upward through all books in the selected collection without leaving the slide.
Using metadata ingested from the XML feeds, I created and populated individual author pages that showcase the author’s name, biography, and a curated list of additional books they have written.
For the product detail pages, I integrated Book 2 Look, enabling customers to preview book content seamlessly. These pages pull metadata-driven details such as title, description, and pricing. Users can select different book formats via dropdown menus, with prices and third-party purchase links updating dynamically based on the selection.
