Katamex Streamlines B2B Order Assignment with Webkul

Katamex is a French wholesale distributor and importer that sells eyewear, watches, clocks, and umbrellas to opticians and other shops. It has been in business since the year 1993.

The company is family-run and based in Joué l’Abbé, France. It started out selling watches and clocks to professional buyers.

In the year 2007, Katamex added more products to its range, including reading glasses, sunglasses, and umbrellas.

Katamex runs its online store on PrestaShop. This lets its business customers log in and place orders for stock whenever they need to.

E-Commerce Market of Eyewear Products in France

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global eyewear market was valued at approximately $181.75 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $330.08 billion by 2034.

The eyewear market continues to grow as consumers increasingly purchase eyewear not only for vision correction but also as a fashion accessory, with both factors driving sustained demand.

The global online eyewear market was worth $39.19 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $77.71 billion by 2035, as per reports from Market Research Future.

France’s eyewear market was worth $10.53 billion in 2024. It may grow to $16.79 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.

Leading French eyewear retailers include EssilorLuxottica, Krys Group, and Alain Afflelou. Along with these big retail chains, wholesalers like Katamex supply eyewear and accessories to independent opticians.

Problems Faced by the Client

Katamex’s back-office staff creates orders for customers, but the admin panel does not display which employee handled which order.

The store also used the PrestaShop Employee Advance Permission module, which restricts staff to only their assigned orders.

This blocked employees from managing orders they had created on a customer’s behalf, since the system never auto-assigned those orders to them.

Katamex needed automatic employee-order assignment, plus a visible employee reference in both the order listing and order details tabs.

Solution Provided by Webkul

Webkul implemented a custom development specifically for the client using the Admin Login as Customer module as the base.

We added a new Employee column to the Order List page. The Order listing page started displaying which staff member placed each order.

An Employee section inside the Order Details page was also added, so that the admin can check which staff member placed each order.

Most importantly, we also implemented the auto-assignment feature for the client. Now, any order a staff member creates for a customer gets linked to them right away.

Results

• Full order traceability: The admin can now check exactly which employee created each customer order from the Order Listing tab.
• Automatic assignment: Employees no longer need manual reassignment to access orders they created for customers.
• Reduced admin workload: The admin does not have to spend time manually linking orders to employees in the back office.
• Better accountability: Every B2B order now carries a clear employee reference for internal tracking.
• Seamless compatibility: The customization works smoothly alongside the existing Employee Advance Permission module.

Conclusion

Katamex improved order accountability and streamlined employee workflows using the Admin Login as Customer module and custom PrestaShop Development Services.