Case Study: Omnichannel eCommerce Launch & Square POS Real-Time Inventory Integration for Licorice Wishes

Client: Cara Dawn McCoy Tohannie | Tohannie Trading Company (Licorice Wishes) Industry: Food & Beverage / Specialty Retail Project Role: eCommerce Developer & Systems Integration Specialist (Salish Hawk Studios) Budget / Value: $600 Live Site: https://www.licoricewishes.com/

Executive Summary

Licorice Wishes (Tohannie Trading Company) was preparing to launch its physical storefront at The Hangar in Seattle, WA while simultaneously scaling its online storefront. The client required a unified eCommerce and Point of Sale (POS) infrastructure that would keep physical store inventory and online website inventory perfectly in sync without requiring paid software upgrades or manual, multi-platform stock updates.

Salish Hawk Studios designed and executed an end-to-end technical overhaul of the Wix eCommerce platform: connecting Square POS to Wix via SKU IQ, configuring automated multi-buy discount rules, restructuring the storefront product catalog, and polishing the visual user interface for optimal conversion.

Key Challenges & Business Bottlenecks

Inventory Disconnect Across Sales Channels: Selling products both in-person at events/retail locations and online meant high risk of overselling out-of-stock items if inventory wasn't synchronized automatically in real time.

Square Plan Constraints & Cost Efficiency: The client operated on a standard Square plan and preferred not to pay for expensive enterprise tier upgrades just to manage bundled product offerings or inventory syncing.

Complex Bundle Pricing Rules: The store offered a popular "3 for $25" promotion on 1lb licorice bags. The initial checkout logic was applying flat discounts incorrectly, resulting in miscalculated cart totals at checkout.

Visual Layout & UI Polish: The website header, hero banners, product catalog grid, and footer needed restructuring to align text elements, improve readability across mobile and desktop viewports, and highlight social media channels.

Solutions & Technical Execution

1. Bi-Directional Inventory Sync (Square POS ↔ SKU IQ ↔ Wix)

Integrated SKU IQ as the real-time middleware between the primary Square POS location (TT Company) and the Wix eCommerce store (Catalog V3).

Established automated stock tracking so in-person sales at the physical store automatically reduce online inventory on Wix—marking items as "Out of Stock" instantly without manual intervention.

2. Custom Automated Discount Architecture

Configured native Wix eCommerce Automatic Discount Rules triggered by item quantity thresholds.

Established a quantity-based rule for 1lb licorice bags where purchasing any combination of 3 bags automatically recalibrates the subtotal to $25.00 at checkout, bypassing the need for complex bundled item setups in Square.

3. Storefront UI Overhaul & Header/Footer Refinement

Header Navigation: Restructured and centered navigation links (Welcome, Events, Licorice Flavors, Shop) with optimized contrast against the cream theme backdrop.

Hero Section: Aligned hero banners, primary call-to-action buttons, and promotional copy within standard screen gridlines.

Product Catalog: Cleaned up product category filtering (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Merchandise, Licorice) and grid alignment for 1lb bags, Zot items, and Candy Tree offerings.

Footer: Reorganized contact information, physical location details (The Hangar, 1416 NW 51st St, Seattle, WA), store hours, and high-visibility social icons (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook).

Results & Business Impact

100% Real-Time Stock Accuracy: Zero risk of online overselling during high-volume retail events or in-person store operations.

Seamless Checkout Experience: Discount logic automatically applies at checkout, increasing Average Order Value (AOV) by encouraging multi-bag purchases.

Zero Operational Friction: The merchant manages stock directly from the standard Square POS app without needing technical expertise or expensive tier upgrades.

On-Time Store Launch: Full digital and POS infrastructure operational ahead of the physical retail store opening at The Hangar.

Technologies Used

Platform: Wix eCommerce (Catalog V3)

POS & Payments: Square POS, Stripe, Zelle

Inventory Middleware: SKU IQ

Design & Tools: Wix Editor, Custom Discount Logic, Ricos Content, Image Optimization