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Case Study: How Minion helped James Cress Florist automate multi-channel fulfillment with Shopify

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Minion partnered with James Cress Florist to engineer a custom Shopify integration that routes orders automatically between local delivery teams and third-party networks like MAS Direct and HANA Florist. The result? Faster processing, fewer errors, and a national reach powered by smart automation.


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James Cress Florist is a nationally recognized floral brand offering both local and nationwide delivery. With the volume and complexity of their fulfillment channels growing, they partnered with Minion to develop a custom Shopify integration that could intelligently route orders between local operations and national fulfillment networks. By building logic-based automations and connecting their store to third-party partners like MAS Direct and HANA Florist, Minion helped reduce errors, improve speed, and expand their reach through Shopify.

The Challenge

James Cress Florist runs a hybrid fulfillment model — fulfilling local orders through in-house teams and routing national orders to trusted third-party providers. Their existing Shopify setup lacked the automation to distinguish and route orders based on delivery zones, leading to manual reviews, fulfillment delays, and errors. With their order volume growing and customer expectations rising, James Cress needed a streamlined, automated approach to ensure the right orders were fulfilled by the right party, every time.

"We needed a way to make our local team more efficient without sacrificing our ability to serve customers across the country. Minion helped us build exactly that."
— James Cress Florist Team

The Solution

Minion developed a custom Shopify integration that uses location-based logic and delivery data to automatically route orders to the correct fulfillment provider. Using filters based on zip codes, order attributes, and internal rules, the system automatically distinguishes between local deliveries and nationwide orders. Local orders are routed through HANA Florist, while nationwide orders are passed to MAS Direct via a seamless API integration.

  • Real-time syncing between Shopify and third-party fulfillment partners
  • Scalable logic layers to accommodate additional fulfillment zones in the future
  • Backend dashboard for monitoring routing rules and delivery flow

"This wasn’t just an integration — it was a rethinking of how we approach fulfillment on Shopify. Minion gave us the tools to grow without adding complexity."
— James Cress Florist Team

The Results

  • 25% reduction in average order processing time
  • More consistent on-time delivery for both local and national customers
  • Fewer support tickets related to routing or delivery issues
  • Estimated 500+ labor hours saved monthly from automation — up to 760+ during peak months
  • Increased capacity to scale marketing and fulfillment efforts without added overhead

"We’re now operating at a higher level across every channel. It’s been a game-changer for our team."
— James Cress Florist Team

What’s Next

Minion and James Cress are continuing to optimize backend systems and explore additional automation — including delivery time estimation, support ticket integration, and expanded fulfillment partnerships — all powered by Shopify.

With thousands of Shopify experts out there, finding the right fit for your store can be overwhelming. Your Shopify store deserves more than just an expert—it deserves a team that’s dedicated to helping it thrive and grow every step of the way.

Seamless systems integration is critical — and that’s where Minion comes in.

Whether you're connecting Shopify to third-party platforms, building custom routing logic, or syncing complex data flows, our team has the expertise to make it happen. We specialize in creating smart, scalable integrations that streamline operations, eliminate manual work, and keep your business running smoothly. From initial strategy and development to testing, launch, and ongoing support, Minion ensures every piece of your ecommerce ecosystem works together flawlessly — so you can stay focused on growth, not technology.

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