Illusione Launches New Website, Wholesale Sales Portal

Illusione has a new website with a bit of a trick up its sleeve.

The company has launched a new website with an e-commerce portal for retailers to place orders with the aim of having up to three-quarters of its sales placed via the website. Despite the move, the company is not eschewing its team of independent sales representatives.

Dion Giolito, Illusione’s founder, told halfwheel that those brokers will still get their commission on orders placed through the sales portal, but that the company believes the new portal is more strategic. For one, it’s more efficient than placing orders in just about any other manner as the retailer can do it without interacting with another person, but it will also allow Illusione to provide a more catered approach to customers based on their history and other data points.

To do this, the company brought in Brian Motola, who has two decades in salesforce management, business development and e-commerce, and whose past work includes clients such as Sysco according to his LinkedIn page.

Giolito said he hopes to have 40 percent of the company’s orders processed through the website “initially,” with a goal of 60-75 percent “down the road.”

Illusione is not the first company with an online sales portal, General Cigar Co. has had one for a few years, but Illusione is making it a large part of the company’s focus.