Shopify agency Freiburg for brands selling across three borders

    NICCOS is a Shopify agency based in Breisach am Rhein near Freiburg, where Germany meets Switzerland and France. We build and migrate Shopify stores for brands that want to sell in all three countries from one store, with currency, tax and language set up per market before launch.
    Request a project reviewSee cross-border cases
    MYCR7 markets live at the same time
    EU & CH
    Customer records migrated for Sirocco
    40,000+
    Cost at Groundies, Freiburg
    -50%
    Shopify Plus Partner since
    April 2022
    Brown leather Groundies Chelsea boots stepping into frame on a concrete floorLayered pumpkin latte topped with cream, cinnamon sticks and pumpkinsWoman in profile with voluminous blonde curls, a hand spraying hair spray from above.Dog and cat walk to their bowls in a blue kitchen and eat side by sideBouquet of orange roses against a light backgroundGrid of Bloomingloft sofas with changing fabrics and background coloursDog snapping a chew stick from a hand in the gardenBlack embroidered cap next to a net bag of lemons on a stone wallTwo cyclists with panniers on a green cycle pathHands bending and rolling a blue Freiluftkind insole against a mint-green backgroundMountain biker in a yellow jacket carving a berm among flowersBoy examining a lettuce leaf with the Rabano kids microscopeMotocross rider in a red and purple O'Neal jersey on a crest and carving a dusty cornerLaughing toddler sitting in the grass holding a Mintkind milestone card

    How do you sell into Germany, Switzerland and France from one Shopify store?

    Freiburg sits in the corner where three countries meet, and two sets of rules apply within an hour's drive. Germany and France are in the EU single market. Switzerland is not, so every parcel to Zurich or Basel is an export with a customs declaration, Swiss VAT and prices in francs. A brand entering the German-speaking market usually wants all of it: Germany for volume, Switzerland for basket size, Austria because the language is the same.

    We set this up with Shopify Markets: one store, and for each market its own currency, price list, language and tax logic. MYCR7 is the reference. The operator of the official CR7 online shops had sold through retail and marketplaces only. We launched its first own channel in the EU and Switzerland at the same time, in euros and francs, six weeks after the briefing. Revenue after launch was 120 percent above the level before, measured across retail, marketplaces and the new store together. Read the MYCR7 case study and our page on Shopify internationalization.

    Which clients from Freiburg and Switzerland do we work for?

    Two Swiss brands moved to Shopify Plus with us. For Sirocco, a tea and coffee brand, we migrated more than 40,000 customer records with their full order history from Magento in twelve weeks, and the conversion rate rose by 25 percent after launch. For Kanela, an online drugstore, we set up 147,753 redirects and connected the marketplaces Zur Rose, Galaxus and Manor. Both projects are documented in the Sirocco case study and the Kanela case study.

    In Freiburg itself we work for Groundies, a barefoot shoe brand that sells in Europe and the United States. It ran OXID for the US and Shopware for every other country. We merged both into one Shopify Plus codebase over six months and launched in two steps, the US first. The case study reports 50 percent lower cost and more than 100 orders within three days of the US launch.

    North of Freiburg, in Friesenheim, Hairshop Pro moved from PlentyMarkets to Shopify Plus in three months and saw its conversion rate rise by 35 percent. Details are in the Groundies case study and the Hairshop Pro case study.

    Where is the team, and how do we work with brands from abroad?

    The company is registered in Breisach am Rhein, on the French border west of Freiburg. Our team in Freiburg runs workshops on site. Colleagues also work in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart. Projects with teams outside Germany run in English. NICCOS has been listed as a Shopify Plus Partner since April 2022, and the Shopify Partner Directory shows 19 reviews with a rating of 5.0.

    Why choose a Shopify agency in the Freiburg region?

    A brand that enters the German-speaking market needs a partner who knows German law, Swiss customs and the ERP systems used here. Our published cases cover all three.

    • Swiss and EU selling from one store

      MYCR7, Sirocco and Kanela sell in francs. We plan customs, VAT and currency before launch.

    • Local clients you can look up

      Groundies in Freiburg and Hairshop Pro in Friesenheim are published projects with stated starting point, work and result.

    • German price law in an app of our own

      We built Best Price Indicator (PAngV), an app in the Shopify App Store that shows the lowest prior price German law requires for discounts.

    Which brands are a fit for our Freiburg team?

    We fit brands that want to enter Germany, Switzerland or France, or expand from there, and need one party responsible for data, integrations and sign-off.

    • You are entering the DACH market

      You need German legal texts, local payment methods and prices in euros and francs from day one.

    • You run separate shops per country

      You want one store with markets instead of several platforms with their own upkeep.

    • Your current platform holds you back

      Shopware, Magento, OXID or PlentyMarkets should be replaced without losing rankings or customer data.

    • You want workshops in person

      Kick-off and sign-off can take place on site in Freiburg or at your office in the region.

    When we are probably not the right fit

    • You need a starter store from a stock theme with no connection to other systems.

    • You want to ship to Switzerland before customs and tax are settled.

    • Nobody on your side will own the store after launch.

    Brands we work for

    • Brown leather Groundies Chelsea boots stepping into frame on a concrete floorGroundies
    • Woman in profile with voluminous blonde curls, a hand spraying hair spray from above.Hairshop Pro
    • Glass teapot, a carafe of ice cubes and two glasses of iced tea with mint on a wooden traySirocco

    What do brands ask our Freiburg team for?

    How does a project with our Freiburg team run?

    1. First call and review

      We look at your store, ERP, target markets and tracking and tell you whether we are a fit.

    2. Market workshop

      We decide the data model, the markets and the integrations together, on site or by video call.

    3. Build with interim sign-offs

      Theme, data import and integrations are delivered in stages that you approve one by one.

    4. Sign-off and launch

      Checkout, payment methods, tax per market, redirects and tracking are tested and logged before go-live.

    5. Operations

      The same contacts stay responsible for support and further development.

    Projects from Switzerland, Freiburg and the Ortenau

    Three published projects from both sides of the border. All figures come from the respective case study.

    View cases

    What does Shopify provide for cross-border selling?

    • Currency per market

      Prices in euros and francs, fixed or calculated from the exchange rate.

    • Languages and domains

      German, French and English on separate domains or in subfolders, with hreflang.

    • Tax and duties

      Tax rates per destination country and import duties shown in checkout before purchase.

    • One inventory, one admin

      Products, stock and orders of all markets live in one store.

    Questions from brands selling into Germany, Switzerland and France

    Is NICCOS based in Freiburg?

    The company is registered in Breisach am Rhein near Freiburg. Our team in Freiburg works with clients in the city and along the Upper Rhine. Other team members work in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart.

    Do we need a Swiss company to sell to Swiss customers?

    That is a tax and customs question for your advisor and your carrier. Once it is decided, we implement it in the store: prices in francs, Swiss VAT, duties shown in checkout and customs data passed to shipping.

    Can one Shopify store serve Germany, Austria and Switzerland?

    Yes. Shopify Markets treats each country as its own market with currency, tax and domain. MYCR7 runs the EU and Switzerland from one store. A second store only makes sense when assortment or warehouses differ fundamentally.

    Which German legal requirements affect the store?

    Imprint, cancellation policy, price display rules and consent for tracking are the usual ones. Your lawyer decides the wording. We make sure the store shows it in the right place, including the prior lowest price for discounts through our Best Price Indicator app.

    Do you work in English?

    Yes. Calls, documentation and handover are in English for teams outside Germany.

    How long did comparable projects take?

    MYCR7 went live in six weeks, Sirocco in twelve weeks and Groundies in six months because two platforms were merged and two launches were staged. We name a timeline for your project once data model and integrations are known.
    Revenue at MYCR7 after launch
    +120%
    Redirects for Kanela
    147,753
    Cost at Groundies after consolidation
    -50%
    Conversion rate at Hairshop Pro
    +35%

    Talk to our Freiburg team about your market entry

    Send us your store URL, your ERP and your target countries. We tell you what has to be decided before you launch.

    Request a project reviewView cases

    NICCOS

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