THE TINTIN SHOPcase study

01. The context

Tintinimaginatio S.A. is the Belgian company that manages all exploitation rights to Hergé's work worldwide. The official online shop, boutique.tintin.com, is the direct sales channel for thousands of products — albums, collectibles, figurines, clothing, stationery — shipped to customers in many countries.

The website, built on PrestaShop, requires a robust infrastructure, numerous bespoke developments (logistics integration, international VAT management, accounting export, multiple carriers) and responsive technical support to maintain the business continuity of a shop that never closes.

02. The challenge

Running the official shop of a globally iconic brand comes with particular constraints: zero tolerance for service interruptions, a large catalogue to be managed in fine detail, complex international logistics with FedEx and DPD, and a flawless user experience for visitors from all over the world. Product images are served via a dedicated CDN on ArtWhere's infrastructure, ensuring optimal loading times internationally.

On top of this come specific business constraints: fixed-rate VAT management for cultural products, integration of secure payment gateways (Ingenico/Visa/Mastercard/Bancontact), and custom modules developed over the years for Tintinimaginatio's own needs.

TECHNICAL FEATURES OF THE PLATFORM

Dedicated ArtWhere CDN

All product images are served via a dedicated CDN for optimal performance internationally.

Multilingual FR / NL / EN

Translated catalogue, navigation and checkout available in all three languages, with currency management.

FedEx & DPD integration

Integrated shipping modules with automatic calculation of costs based on destination, weight and volume.

Specific VAT & accounting export

Custom management of cultural VAT and a purpose-built accounting export module.

Secure payment

Worldline (formerly Ingenico) integration with Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Bancontact. Migration to and monitoring of the new plugin handled by ArtWhere.

Active support tickets

Real-time incident tracking (UPS configuration, refunds) via a dedicated ticketing system.

2020

FIRST PRESTASHOP SHOP

ArtWhere developed the official e-commerce shop on PrestaShop, integrating logistics, payment and VAT modules specific to Tintinimaginatio. Hosting infrastructure and dedicated CDN put in place.

2020-2025

BESPOKE DEVELOPMENTS & CONTINUOUS ENHANCEMENTS

Over the years, numerous custom modules have enriched the platform: accounting export, specific VAT management, carrier integrations (FedEx, DPD), performance optimisation, regular fixes and updates.

END OF 2025

Ingenico → Worldline MIGRATIONS - MONITORING OF PAYMENT ANOMALIES

With Ingenico absorbed by Worldline, the PrestaShop plugin changed and introduced problematic behaviour: transactions were accepted for payment but rejected on the order side. ArtWhere detected, documented and reported the anomaly directly to Worldline, while keeping Tintinimaginatio's teams informed. The situation is under active watch.

2025-2026

REBUILD OF THE FEDEX MODULE (REST JSON API)

FedEx is decommissioning its old API. ArtWhere was commissioned to migrate the module to the new REST JSON API, preserving all existing functionality. This rebuild is part of a broader reflection on the future of the platform.

03. The solution

Since 2020, ArtWhere has handled the shop's entire technical chain: dedicated hosting with an international CDN, custom development for Tintinimaginatio's specific business needs, and responsive technical support. The infrastructure can serve thousands of international orders while ensuring a smooth experience in three languages.

PrestaShop e-commerce

Development and maintenance of the official shop — multilingual, multi-currency, with an extensive catalogue.

Custom logistics modules

FedEx, DPD and UPS integrations with shipping cost calculation, parcel tracking and returns management.

Bespoke developments

Accounting export, specific VAT management, payment gateways, custom business modules.

Responsive technical support

Dedicated ticketing system, priority interventions, incident tracking and rapid resolution.

Updates & enhancements

Continuous platform monitoring, updates, fixes and integration of new features as needed.

CDN & dedicated hosting

Custom infrastructure with a proprietary CDN for distributing product images internationally.

04. The result

The official Tintin shop runs continuously, serves customers in many countries and evolves with Tintinimaginatio's needs. ArtWhere is today the brand's go-to technical partner for e-commerce, working on both day-to-day maintenance and long-term strategic projects.

The relationship of trust built since 2020, in-depth knowledge of the existing architecture and the ability to advise on platform evolution make ArtWhere far more than an implementation provider.

5+ — Years of Collaboration

3 — Languages & Markets

∞ — Tintin Fans Worldwide