Transforming the digital experience in Ecuador’s pharmaceutical sector

Digital commerce is redefining how consumers access healthcare products. In this context, Grupo DIFARE, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Ecuador, decided to accelerate its digital transformation to strengthen the omnichannel experience of its brands Pharmacy’s and Cruz Azul.

With more than 40 years of experience in pharmaceutical distribution and retail, DIFARE manages a nationwide network of pharmacies and operates within a highly complex ecosystem that combines logistics, regulatory compliance, sensitive inventory management, and customer experience.

To meet evolving customer expectations, the group decided to fully modernize its digital commerce platform.

“The evolution of consumer behavior and the need to offer a more agile omnichannel experience made it essential to modernize our digital platform.” — John Calderón, Technology Manager, Grupo DIFARE

The challenge: modernizing the platform without disrupting operations

For several years, DIFARE operated its digital channel on HCL Commerce (IBM Commerce). While it was a robust platform, it gradually became less aligned with the business’s need for speed and flexibility.

Among the main challenges were:

• long development cycles for new features
• limited flexibility to innovate in customer experience
• difficulty integrating new technologies
• a fragmented architecture between web and mobile channels

“Each evolution required long timelines, high costs, and complex technical efforts.” — John Calderón

The transformation also had a strict timeline.

DIFARE needed to launch the new platform before January 1st, 2026. Missing this deadline would have forced the company to continue operating with the previous provider for another six months, generating significant additional costs.

At the same time, the project involved multiple critical challenges:

• migrating two ecommerce platforms simultaneously
• integrating core enterprise systems
• ensuring operational continuity
• launching a complete digital ecosystem

All within just 60 days.

The solution: VTEX and ITGlobers for a modern and scalable architecture

To address this challenge, DIFARE selected VTEX as its new commerce platform and ITGlobers as the implementation partner.

The decision was based on several key factors:

• a modern and modular architecture
• native omnichannel capabilities
• a strong ecosystem ready for complex integrations
• deep experience in the Latin American market

“VTEX is the leading provider in the region for these solutions and offers a modern architecture with native omnichannel capabilities and integrated tools such as OMS, marketplace and storefront.” — John Calderón

At the same time, ITGlobers brought the technical expertise and execution capability required to deliver such a complex project within an aggressive timeline.

“ITGlobers has extensive experience in VTEX implementations and a highly skilled team capable of delivering projects under challenging conditions such as tight timelines.” — John Calderón

A highly complex technical implementation

DIFARE’s digital operation goes far beyond a traditional ecommerce environment.

The pharmaceutical industry requires managing several operational and regulatory complexities, including:

• real-time inventory availability across pharmacies
• regulatory restrictions for certain medications
• sensitive logistics operations
• complex catalog and pricing management
• specific commercial rules

“Digital operations in the pharmaceutical industry are highly complex and require a robust, secure, and well-integrated platform. Time was the main variable to overcome. There was no margin for delay.” — John Calderón

During the migration, several critical systems were integrated, including:

• ERP systems
• inventory management
• logistics platforms
• payment gateways
• geolocation services
• catalog and pricing engines
• the group’s loyalty platform

One of the most critical technical challenges was ensuring real-time inventory queries across the pharmacies responsible for fulfilling digital orders.

60 days to migrate two ecommerce platforms

Executing the migration required exceptional coordination across multiple teams and disciplines.

Migrating two ecommerce platforms simultaneously demanded strict operational discipline, clear processes, and strong technical leadership.

Despite the complexity, the project was completed successfully.

The new ecommerce platform launched before the deadline, enabling DIFARE to:

• avoid additional costs from the previous provider
• relaunch its digital channel with improved performance
• deliver a better customer experience

Mobile-first strategy: launching the app in just 7 days

As part of DIFARE’s omnichannel strategy, the transformation extended beyond the ecommerce website.

In parallel with the digital launch, the company also implemented its mobile commerce strategy, connecting a mobile application directly to the ecommerce ecosystem.

The Pharmacy’s mobile app was launched first, with the Cruz Azul app scheduled to launch next, both powered by ITGlobers’ ecommerce-connected mobile app framework.

This approach allowed DIFARE to activate its mobile channel only seven days after the ecommerce launch, accelerating its digital growth strategy.

“Mobile is the fastest-growing channel and offers great convenience for customers wherever they are.” — John Calderón