Advise on Magento setup for Multi Store switcher by postcode

Question

Hi I wonder if anyone could offer some advice.

I'm developing a one site, multi store magento install for a food delivery service. I need customer to enter postcode, find their nearest physical store which will then auto switch to corresponding Magento store. (each store has different product catalogue).

Geo Ip looks like the right sort of route but it seems only based on country and I need to be more specific than that.

Answer 1

This can be done by creating a module, Module consists following fields :

• Store Name
• Postal Code
• Longitude and Latitude (if more tan one store exists per postal code)

and other information regarding store, but this is compulsorily.

Now how it works, when ever user search for a Postcode filter the data according to that store and redirects the customer to that store.

Answer 2

You can get more specificity than just country with GeoIP, especially with paid service, but the accuracy goes down the more specific you get. As far as switching stores automatically, you can implement that by loading the appropriate store for the customer and then redirect them:

$storeCode = 'store_code_to_send_customer_to';

$store = Mage::app()->getSafeStore($storeCode);
if ($store->getCode() == NULL) {
    $store = Mage::app()->getDefaultStoreView();
}

$storeUrl = $store->getCurrentUrl(false);
Mage::app()->getResponse()->setRedirect($storeUrl)->sendResponse();
die();