CASE STUDY

Revamping Retail: Sanctuary’s 20%+ Boost in CVR

the results:

+35%

MOBILE CONVERSION RATE

+8%

AVERAGE ORDER VALUE

+48%

AVERAGE REVENUE PER USER ON MOBILE

SHOPIFY PLUS RE-THEME

Time for a Digital Refresh

Sanctuary Clothing—a brand synonymous with effortless style and modern design—decided it was time to give their Shopify store a much-needed digital facelift. Think extreme home makeover but for a website—with fewer tears and more clicks. Known for their "easy, wearable pieces" that bring together "the latest trends and timeless classics," Sanctuary’s mission was to ensure their online presence reflected this ethos. They aimed to streamline the shopping experience and improve key performance metrics like conversion rate (CVR), average order value (AOV), and average revenue per user (ARPU).

The results? A 35% jump in mobile conversion rates and a nearly 10% increase in AOV. All this was achieved without any extra marketing campaigns or additional ad dollars and during one of the year's slowest sales seasons, showing the redesign's pure power.

The Objectives

DELIVERABLES:

A complete redesign of the Shopify store using a carefully considered theme customized to suit.

FOCUS AREAS:

Mobile-first design, streamlined site UX, revamped product detail pages (PDP), and navigation enhancements.

EXTRAS:

Integration of the Rebuy Smart Cart app.

Our Approach: Coffee, Analytics, and Design

Armed with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and a whole lot of coffee, we dissected user behaviour like a forensic team on a TV drama.

Here’s what we found —>

User Behavior:

Most folks were zipping through the site in under a minute. We had to make it stickier than a marshmallow in a microwave.

Traffic Mix:

60% of users were on mobile devices. Mobile-first wasn’t just a buzzword; it was our north star.

Conversion Consistency:

Steady but unimpressive conversion rates across devices. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely.

Implementation

Theme CHOICE:

We opted for Reformation; a high-performant, feature-packed premium theme. It’s like the little black dress of Shopify themes - clean, modern, and super customizable.

Mobile Optimization:

Every element was mobile-friendly, from touch-friendly navigation to speedy load times. Because let’s face it, everyone’s glued to their phones these days.

Enhanced Product Detail Pages:

We revamped the PDPs with a more visually appealing layout and sleek presentation of product details and image grids. Additional features such as product recommendations and upsell blocks were utilized to create a personalized shopping experience.

Smooth Navigation:

We streamlined the navigation with a clear and intuitive menu design, reducing click fatigue so you can find what you’re looking for faster than you can say “retail therapy.”

Rebuy Smart Cart App:

Personalized product recommendations and upsell options gave a little nudge towards more shopping. Plus, we expect even more growth potential here in the coming months when this platform is fully integrated.

Collaborative Feedback:

We kept Sanctuary in the loop throughout the process, ensuring their vision was front and center.

The Results: A Numbers Game

Drumroll, please… Here’s how the redesign performed, based on the data following the launch.

Conversion Rate (CVR):

The sitewide CVR skyrocketed by 21.9%, with mobile conversions up by a staggering 35.5% and desktop by 9.5%.

Average Order Value (AOV):

AOV saw a handsome increase of 8.69%, with mobile leading the charge at 9.4% and desktop close behind at 8.5%.

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU):

ARPU surged by 32.9%, driven by a 48.9% rise on mobile and a 19% boost on desktop.

These delicious results came in without any extra marketing campaigns or ad dollars, proving that sometimes, a good makeover is all you need. User testing and continuous feedback from Sanctuary ensured we hit the mark. The new design also resulted in longer average session durations for mobile users and a boost in desktop traffic post-launch.

Of course, every project has its hiccups. We had a few tech issues with GA4 event tracking, but with perseverance (and a lot of coffee), we powered through.

“pb+j are very thoughtful partners. Throughout the re-theme process, we really appreciated their knowledge, adaptability, and speed with which they worked.”
Evan Solomita, Senior Director of Ecommerce

A New Era for Sanctuary

With a sleek, mobile-first design and improved functionality, not only was the user experience enhanced, but key performance metrics were also significantly boosted. Cha-ching! The results speak volumes: more conversions, higher order values, greater revenue per user, and more time on page—all achieved without any additional marketing push. The significant improvements in mobile CVR, AOV, and ARPU highlight the importance of a well-thought-out mobile-first strategy in today’s digital landscape.

So, if your Shopify store feels like it’s stuck in the past or you know you can get more from it, maybe it’s time for a makeover.

After all, who doesn’t love a good transformation story?

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