Safemarch is a retail company with hundreds of stores across the United States.

For a large retail organization with hundreds of geographically distributed stores and applications split across multiple data centers plus AWS, Zscaler reference designs emphasize an SD-WAN–to–Zscaler Edge model combined with ZPA App Connectors deployed close to the applications. In this model, each store uses SD-WAN to build resilient, policy-based connectivity to the nearest Zscaler Edge locations. Those edges then provide secure, optimized access to private applications published through App Connectors installed in the on-premises data centers and within AWS VPCs.

This approach centralizes security and access control in the Zscaler cloud while avoiding the operational burden of managing hundreds of direct site-to-site VPNs. It also aligns with Zero Trust principles by steering all store traffic to Zscaler rather than extending the corporate network to every store. Direct Connect between data centers and AWS (as in option A) is optional from a ZPA perspective because App Connectors in AWS communicate outbound to Zscaler over the internet. Branch Connector (option D) is typically used when SD-WAN or suitable edge devices are not present, whereas a large retail environment commonly standardizes on SD-WAN.