Brief profile
Industry: Footwear industry / E-commerce
Revenue: 8 figures
Project scope: Migration from Shopware to Shopify including system automation
Project duration: approx. 6 months
Go-live: US shop live, first hundred orders successfully processed.
Initial situation
Groundies had been working for years with a historically grown Shopware landscape and numerous connected legacy systems. This structure led to:
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High manual effort in operation and support
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Rising ongoing costs due to complex tech dependencies
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Very long time-to-market for new features
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No possibility for A/B testing or clean conversion optimization
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Lack of transparency in data and analytics
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Decisions in the conversion and product context based on incomplete data
The existing setup was no longer scalable, especially for the planned international expansion (US market). New features could only be implemented slowly or not at all, and innovation was effectively blocked.
Objective
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Replacement of the existing Shopware architecture
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Building a high-performing, scalable Shopify setup
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Significant reduction of manual processes through automation
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Faster iterations, tests, and feature releases
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Technical foundation for international growth
decision-making process
Groundies specifically sought a solution that combined speed, clarity, and scalability. Alternative platforms or agencies were not pursued further.
The decision fell on us because we:
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As a boutique agency, we work with a very focused approach.
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Deliver quickly, directly and without unnecessary coordination levels
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Combining in-depth Shopify expertise with process and systems thinking
The client didn't want a large setup, but rather a specialized team with clear responsibilities.
Implementation
Design & Concept
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Analysis of the existing corporate identity
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Translation of the corporate identity into a Shopify-compliant, scalable design
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Focus on clarity, performance, and conversion readiness
Development
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Implementation based on a stable Shopify theme
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Complete rebuild of the shop
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Clean, maintainable architecture without technical legacy issues.
Automation & System Integration
To reduce manual effort and costs, the following systems were integrated:
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Zendesk: Automated ticket fulfillment
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Department store: Fulfillment connection
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Reviews.io: Review Management
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8Returns: Automated returns processing
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Clear: Clean, understandable analytics
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Pathway Solutions: Automated accounting process
The implementation proceeded without any significant obstacles, as the project team was highly specialized and worked in a clearly structured manner.
Results (as of US launch)
Even though long-term sales figures are still to come, clear effects are already evident:
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Time-to-market: approximately 3 times faster
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Cost reduction: approximately 50% through the elimination of legacy technical issues.
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Scalability: significantly increased by Shopify architecture
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Internationalization: US shop successfully launched, first hundred orders processed.
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Operations & Team: significantly fewer manual processes
The revenue forecast for 2026 has been significantly revised upwards due to the new technical basis.
Customer review
"That was the most relaxed launch we've ever had."
Conclusion
By switching from Shopware to Shopify, Groundies has created a technical foundation that:
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Rapid further development enables
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International scaling supported
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reduces costs and automates processes
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Data-driven decisions in e-commerce allow
The US launch marks the first milestone; further expansion stages will follow.