Multiple Stores, Single Database

[Guest pete]

I have an offer to create maybe even hundreds of virtually identical stores for fundraising groups. They may be all over the country, but they would be offering their members / customers identical products and prices. They would each have their own website, customized a bit with the pastor, coach, principal, etc. on the home page.

I'd like to have a common database and image files, not so much for server space, just to make life easy when price changes, new items, etc. need maintenance.

I will probably also add an affiliate package, with one serving them all.

There is a good possibility I will also need some shipping mods, gift certificate/voucher mods, etc. Same here, can I get along with one copy or would I need to purchase a fresh mod for each store?

Thought on this, please.

[Guest]

You would need to create a mod to do this as each store would need to store its own customers and orders which right now is stored in the same database as the products. Doubt you want each store to see all the orders from all stores as this would be majorly confusing.

This has been discussed before but I don't know if anyone has ever done it. You might contact some of the programmers listed at cubecart.org if you cannot do the coding changes yourself.

[Guest pete]

Well, I'm back with a bit of a change. I have found a solution to most of what I need. I can actually get by with one store.

But I'd like to have a different homepage/index for each group in a separate subdirectory.

Same payment processor, same affiliate setup, same prices, etc. Same store.

Just a different homepage for each church, let's say. So they could have a blurb about their congregation, maybe a picture, etc. But all of the links would go to a common store.

The only problem I foresee is getting them back to their own homepage, but I have a link masking program that will keep the address in the browser as their own subdirectory. That might work to get them back to their own home page.

Or another suggestion?

Meta tags, etc no problem, as the buyers will be directed by the group, not by search.