Relational Database Design and Implementation, 3rd Edition

Chapter 13. Database Design Case Study 3

SmartMart

Many retail chains today maintain both a Web and a brick-and-mortar presence in the marketplace. Doing so presents a special challenge for inventory control because the inventory is shared between physical stores and Web sales. The need to allow multiple shipping addresses and multiple payment methods within a single order also adds complexity to Web selling. Online shopping systems also commonly allow users to store information about multiple credits.

To familiarize you with what is necessary to maintain the data for such a business, we’ll be looking at a database for SmartMart, a long-established retailer with 325 stores across North America that has expanded into Web sales. SmartMart began as ...