Case Study: Shopify Redesign & Growth Strategy For This Luxury Alcohol Brand

In this case study we will explore how a luxury alcohol retailer engaged Swanky’s services to elevate its ecommerce site through brand alignment, enhanced design and more.

The challenges

This alcohol brand’s Shopify store was outdated and struggling to support the company’s aim of offering an accessible and luxury user experience. The store required constant developer support due to an old theme which contained thousands of lines of unnecessary code. This made for a slow and low performing store that lacked flexibility and customisation.

Moreover, a rebrand had recently been executed to better align the company’s visual identity with its business aims and values.

We considered applying the new branding to the previous site theme, but it quickly became apparent that this would not achieve the desired outcome. The theme could not showcase the branding or new imagery well, nor could it create a VIP experience with its out-of-the-box functionality and legacy code.

Project goals

1. Updated branding: Reflect the new branding guidelines and create an elevated experience for users through the site’s look and feel.
2. Scalability: Implement UX/UI best practices to allow the site to scale and grow as the brand expands.
3. Simplified management: Improve the ecommerce team’s ability to self-manage the site, simplifying the codebase for ease of updates and customisation without heavy developer input.

The solution

The previous store build had been rushed and led to the challenges shared above. To avoid this happening again, our team took a considered approach to this redesign, implementing a two-phased project to address all requirements.

Within these phases, we also executed a tech stack audit to streamline functionality, improve overall site performance and inform our efforts moving forwards.

Phase 1: Implementing and customising a new site framework

Swanky carefully selected a new Shopify 2.0 site framework to operate as the foundation for the redesign. This was chosen because it offered a balance of customisation, speed and flexibility. You can read more about these benefits in our article about upgrading to Shopify 2.0.

Once this foundation was in place, Swanky’s team of in-house developers could execute specific customisations to reflect the new brand identity and enable greater versatility.

1. Homepage redesign

A core reason for this rebrand was to create an ‘elevated experience for all’. Redesigning the homepage was a primary focus in the process of aligning this new branding with the store design.

The aim was to create an impactful and luxurious experience for customers as soon as they arrived on the homepage.

Our designers achieved this by:

• increasing margins and adding negative space;
• improving the layout of sections;
• incorporating high-quality imagery; and
• utilising the new product cards to showcase products.

Moreover, we leveraged Shopify 2.0’s ‘sections everywhere’ feature on this page and others to incorporate pre-existing content and update it inline with the new look and feel.

2. Product cards and pages

During the discovery phase of this project we identified an opportunity to add more content throughout the site by utilising metadata. This is valuable because it increases the overall visibility and domain authority of a site on search engine results pages (SERPs), thus increasing organic traffic to a site.

One way we accomplished this was by developing custom metafields for product detail pages (PDPs) and product cards. These were populated with metadata such as bottle size, ABV percentage and tasting notes. This information was then displayed on PDPs and could also be pulled through to custom product cards, helping customers make informed purchasing decisions and increasing organic search visibility.

Moreover, some of this information is accompanied by illustrations. By combining written and visual information, you reduce the cognitive load required of a customer to understand a page. This reduces friction points, in turn easing a customer’s journey to purchase.

3. Dynamic origin information

The nature of the company’s product range means that there is a lot of information to display. Some of this information changes for every product, but some remains the same. For the latter, meta objects can be useful because they reduce the need for manual input and ensure consistency across the site.

An example of where we used meta objects is in displaying origin information for each product. We created a meta object for each location and this information was then pulled into the relevant meta fields, displaying the correct locations, maps, blog links and descriptions.

By integrating meta objects in this way, we not only increased the efficiency of site maintenance, but also improved the customer experience through visually displaying information and educating the customer about the product.

4. Cart page

Shopify’s cart and checkout is trusted by thousands of brands around the world thanks to its ease of use and high performance.

Given that this site sells alcohol, there is a legal obligation to verify a customer’s age. Whilst this is completed upon delivery, the cart page requires customisation to ensure it is compliant with regional guidelines for the distribution of alcohol. In this case, you cannot proceed to the checkout without first confirming you are over the age of 18.

Phase 2: Working with Swanky’s Growth Accelerator team

Upon completion of Phase 1, Swanky’s Growth Accelerator team provided strategy and execution to further support ecommerce growth.

1. Custom quiz

We integrated Octane AI to create a custom quiz which helps users discover their perfect drink. By using a product recommendation quiz, the company gains valuable zero-party data which can be used to personalise a customer’s future interactions with the store. This can be an effective way of nurturing strong brand-customer relationships and encouraging loyalty.

The results also link directly to a Klaviyo flow, offering personalised product recommendations via email and boosting user engagement.

2. New Klaviyo templates

Our team of Klaviyo experts created new email templates using a combination of industry best practice and our own experience working with other alcohol subscription brands.

These templates were modular and allowed for easy customisation, enhancing this email marketing strategy by considering the entire customer journey and tailoring the email flow accordingly.

3. Cross-sell and upsell features

We set up cross-sell and upsell features by integrating Rebuy into this tech stack. Relevant products are suggested beside the cart page, with the aim to increase average order value (AOV) and drive higher sales conversion. When executed properly, both these techniques can also provide value to the customer, increasing their satisfaction with their overall purchasing experience.

4. Heatmap and monitoring

Microsoft Clarity was utilised for its monitoring and heatmap functionality. Through this integration we gained insight into customer behaviour on the site. This data is valuable for understanding friction points on the store and suggesting optimisations to combat this.

Results of a Shopify store redesign

The core results of our work include:

• Improved site performance: The new theme significantly reduced unnecessary code, enhancing site speed and improving the overall user experience.
• Branding update: The customisations we developed reflect the new brand identity, particularly through the updated homepage design, split fonts and elevated product displays.
• Increased efficiency: The company’s ecommerce team has greater control over the site’s management, reducing the reliance on developers for routine updates and content management.
• Enhanced user experience: By leveraging dynamic content like tasting notes, origin information and a personalised quiz, the user experience is enhanced, leading to improved engagement and conversions.
• Future-proofing: The design and development work we implemented is scalable, positioning the site for further growth.

Want to utilise Swanky’s 360-degree approach to Shopify store design?

With a streamlined codebase, custom features and strong tech stack, this luxury alcohol brand is now equipped to scale its operations and continue offering an exceptional online shopping experience for its customers.

If you’d like to hear how our team of experts could support a Shopify store redesign for your brand, get in touch today.