Unlock limitless creativity and commerce performance with Laioutr
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5/5
OMR Reviews
70+
E-commerce components
Lighthouse 100
Performance from day 1
Made in EU
GDPR-compliant, servers in Germany
100% Match
What does headless mean for Intershop?
Headless for Intershop separates the frontend, everything your customers see, from the Intershop Commerce Management backend (ICM) with catalogs, prices, B2B structures, orders, and checkout. The frontend is connected via the ICM REST API (headless application type) and can be designed freely, without the constraints of the classic responsive storefront and with full performance control.
1. The backend stays Intershop
Intershop Commerce Management continues to manage catalogs, prices, B2B organizations, orders, taxes, and checkout. You use the Back Office and the familiar business tools unchanged, with all your established workflows and extensions.
2. The frontend is chosen
You've got four options: keep building on the Intershop PWA (Angular), stick with the classic responsive starter store, go custom (Next.js or Nuxt), or use a Frontend Management Platform like Laioutr. Each option comes with its own pros and cons.
3. Data flows through the ICM REST API in real time
No duplicated data, no sync conflicts. Laioutr talks directly to the ICM REST API (headless application type), including B2B, customer group, and multi-channel support.
Benefits
What frontend options do you have for Intershop?
Intershop ships an official, Angular-based open-source headless storefront with the Intershop PWA, which communicates via the ICM REST API. That turns the frontend question for every Intershop project into a strategic decision: keep building the PWA, carry on with the classic store, build it yourself, or use a Frontend Management Platform. Four options are established in the market.
1. Intershop PWA (Angular)
Intershop's official, Angular-based Progressive Web App storefront, open source and designed for both B2C and B2B. Solid and vendor-backed, but Angular expertise, component upkeep, and ongoing upgrade cycles land on your team. A sensible choice if you have an Angular team and an appetite for running it yourself.
2. Classic responsive starter store (legacy)
The bundled server-side responsive storefront, ISML- and Java-based. Solid for setups that have grown over time, but the performance ceiling and frontend limitations become increasingly noticeable, and Intershop positions the PWA as the future path. A sensible interim solution, not a target state.
3. Custom Build (Next.js or Nuxt)
Maximum control, maximum effort. A six- to twelve-month build phase and ongoing maintenance by an in-house Java and React or Vue team that orchestrates the ICM REST API itself. A sensible choice if frontend engineering is your strategic core competency.
4. Laioutr DXP
A Frontend Management Platform with a visual builder, 70+ components, EU hosting, and multi-backend support. Fastest time-to-launch, lowest learning curve, backend optionality for the future. It makes sense if you want to go live fast, without a custom-build investment.
USE CASES
What you build with Laioutr for Intershop
Laioutr is built for Intershop setups that need to change fast and scale globally. From a multi-channel storefront for brand portfolios to a B2B configurator frontend with complex organizational structures.
Multi-channel storefronts on a single Intershop backend
Multiple channels (brands, markets, sales channels) on a single ICM instance with standalone frontends, their own domains, their own brand identity. One component pool, multiple brand experiences.
B2B portals with Intershop organizations and roles
Intershop delivers strong B2B capabilities: organizations, cost centers, approval workflows, order lists. Laioutr calls the ICM REST API directly and renders customer-group-specific prices, assortments, and approval processes.
Configurator-driven PDPs
Industrial goods, customization workflows, B2B specifications. Complex state-management logic is handled at the Laioutr component level, while REST API calls stay cleanly separated.
International storefronts with dedicated channels per market
One Intershop instance, many channels. Languages, currencies, layouts, and catalogs can be controlled per channel, compatible with the Intershop channel concept.
Replatforming from the classic store to headless without touching the backend
An existing Intershop stack whose frontend needs a refresh, without touching the backend configuration. Phased migration, with a clear rollback plan.
Greenfield storefronts on new Intershop projects
A new Intershop project, a fresh start. With Laioutr themes and the UI library, you go live in weeks rather than investing months in a custom build.
Laioutr vs. custom build for Intershop
The honest comparison
Intershop ships an official, Angular-based headless storefront with the Intershop PWA, but it demands Angular expertise and ongoing self-operation. The most common frontend decision for individual requirements is therefore: a custom build in Next.js or Nuxt, or a Frontend Management Platform like Laioutr. A custom build gives you maximum control but costs a six- to twelve-month build phase plus ongoing maintenance. Laioutr delivers Studio, 70+ components, and hosting in the plan, with full code extensibility for edge cases. Both work with Intershop B2B and B2C.
Compare differences | Laioutr DXP | Custom Build (Next.js / Nuxt) |
|---|---|---|
Builder und Komponenten Was Sie aus der Box bekommen und was Sie selbst aufbauen müssen. | ||
Visueller Page Builder Drag-and-Drop-Editor für Marketing- und Content-Teams. | Inklusive (Studio) Live-Preview, komponentenbasiert | Nicht enthalten Eigenbau oder externes CMS |
E-Commerce-Komponenten Vorgefertigte UI-Bausteine für Storefronts, Produkt- und Landingpages. | 70+ Komponenten Design-Token-basiert, anpassbar | Selbst aufbauen Komplette UI-Bibliothek selbst entwickeln |
Themes und Vorlagen Startpunkt für neue Storefronts ohne Greenfield-Aufwand. | Vorgefertigte Themes Sofort einsatzbereit, voll erweiterbar | Greenfield Designsystem komplett selbst aufbauen |
Hosting Wo das Frontend ausgeliefert wird und wer es betreibt. | Inklusive (EU-CDN) Laioutr Cloud, kein separater Deploy | Selbst hosten Vercel, AWS, eigene Infrastruktur |
Architektur und Compliance Wie flexibel die Plattform ist und was Sie regulatorisch mitbekommen. | ||
Backend-Flexibilität Welche E-Commerce-Backends sich anbinden lassen. | Multi-Backend Intershop, commercetools, Shopware, Shopify | Backend-spezifisch Code an ICM REST API gebunden, Wechsel teuer |
Performance und Core Web Vitals Wie viel Aufwand für Lighthouse-100-Niveau nötig ist. | Out of the box Lighthouse 100 als Default-Ziel | Manuelles Tuning Performance-Engineering durch Team |
BFSG und WCAG 3.0 Konformität mit Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz und WCAG 3.0. | Im Standard WCAG 3.0, BFSG, EN 301 549 | Eigenverantwortung Audit separat erforderlich |
Datenschutz und Serverstandort Wo Daten verarbeitet werden und welche EU-Verträge gelten. | EU und Deutschland EU-Standardvertrag, deutschsprachiger Support | Hosting-abhängig Je nachdem, wo Sie deployen |
Team und Wirtschaftlichkeit Wer mit der Plattform produktiv ist und was es Sie über die Zeit kostet. | ||
Lernkurve Wie schnell ein neues Teammitglied produktiv wird. | Niedrig Marketing onboardet in Tagen | Hoch React/Vue plus Java plus ICM REST API |
Time-to-Launch Realistische Zeitspanne bis zum Live-Gang einer neuen Storefront. | Wochen Mit Themes und UI-Bibliothek | Monate Sechs- bis zwölfmonatige Build-Phase |
Ideales Team-Setup Wer mit der Plattform arbeiten kann und wer arbeiten muss. | Cross-funktional Marketing, Design und Dev gemeinsam | Engineering-only Drei plus React- oder Vue-Engineers |
Preismodell Wie sich Kosten zusammensetzen, Software plus Betrieb plus Entwicklung. | SaaS (planbar) Transparente Pläne, Hosting inklusive Preise ansehen | Engineering-Kosten Build plus dauerhafte Wartung |
All information is based on publicly available sources, insights from sales conversations with DACH e-commerce brands, and our own platform testing. As of June 2026. Intershop features may have evolved since.
Intershop
When a custom build is the right choice
You have a dedicated React or Vue team with Java and Intershop experience, at least three engineers. You're building exactly one Intershop storefront with extremely specialized requirements. Frontend engineering is your strategic core competency. Classic use case: an enterprise brand with its own engineering team and a demand for pixel-level control.
LAIOUTR
When Laioutr is the right choice
You want weeks instead of months to go-live, you want marketing to build pages on its own, you serve multiple Intershop channels or brands, you want to keep your backend options open, and BFSG as well as WCAG 3.0 need to be solved without a separate audit. Classic use case: a mid-market or enterprise Intershop shop that wants to scale without a double-digit engineering investment.
You don't have to do this alone. Our certified composable partners have delivered Intershop frontend projects with Laioutr, from greenfield setups to replatforming migrations.
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