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Case Study: Agenda Bookshop - Replatforming for Accelerated E-commerce Growth

Client : Agenda Bookshop - Malta’s leading book retailer

Industry:  Retail Bookstore

Service Focus:  Shopify Plus Replatforming & Custom Development

Client Overview:

Agenda Bookshop is Malta’s foremost book retailer, operating both a strong network of physical stores and a growing online presence. They offer a diverse selection of books, stationery, gifts, and merchandise to a wide customer base.

    The Challenge:

    Before partnering with Frontleft, Agenda Bookshop’s existing online store was facing significant limitations that hindered its potential:

    • Outdated Platform
      : The previous e-commerce system had low API limits, severely restricting the speed and frequency of crucial data synchronization and updates with their ERP.
    • Middleware Limitations
      : Designed for the previous non-Shopify Plus environment, the existing middleware lacked the inherent efficiency and capabilities needed for seamless data syncing between their ERP, external feeds, and the website, requiring significant manual oversight.
    • Complex & Inconsistent Data
      : Managing multiple data feeds (including a large Nielsen book database and other external sources) was challenging, leading to inconsistent and slow integration of critical product information and updates.
    • Poor User Experience
      : The website’s outdated design, weak product search and navigation, and lack of mobile responsiveness resulted in a suboptimal user experience for customers.
    • Limited Product Discovery
      : With over 2 million SKUs, the website lacked essential filtering features, severely impacting Average Order Value (AOV) and conversion rates as customers struggled to find desired products.
    • Marketing Hesitation
      : Low conversion rates and a poor on-site experience on the old platform created hesitation within the team to invest confidently in paid media or email marketing.
    Agenda Bookshop needed a modern, robust, and scalable e-commerce platform capable of handling complex data and providing an exceptional customer experience.

    The Objective:

    The primary objective was to replatform Agenda Bookshop’s online store to Shopify Plus, rebuild the backend infrastructure with a new custom middleware solution, integrate their complex Nielsen and ERP data feeds, and comprehensively redesign the website's UI/UX to deliver a modern, fast, and scalable e-commerce experience capable of supporting future growth.

    Project Scope & Execution:

    Frontleft partnered with Agenda Bookshop to execute a strategic replatforming and development project, building a new foundation for their online growth on Shopify Plus. Our comprehensive approach addressed their technical bottlenecks and user experience issues head-on. The project involved several critical components:

    • Replatforming to Shopify Plus
      :  Migrating all core data (products, collections, customers, orders) to the powerful Shopify Plus environment, chosen for its scalability and higher API thresholds.
    • Custom Middleware Development
      :  Building a brand new, reliable middleware from scratch to act as a central hub for harmonizing and pushing data from their ERP, Nielsen feed (enriching product data), and other sources into Shopify.
    • Nielsen Data Integration
      : Seamlessly integrating the live Nielsen feed to automate the population and enrichment of book metadata, ensuring consistent and timely updates.
    • Complete UI/UX Redesign
      : Conducting UX research and implementing a modern, responsive design optimized for conversion, featuring enhanced search, filtering, quick-add, and merchandising capabilities.
    • Technical SEO & Analytics
      : Setting up proper redirects from the old site, implementing structured data, and integrating analytics for accurate tracking and future marketing efforts.
    • Rigorous Testing and Launch
      : Conducting thorough end-to-end testing and a soft launch before the final go-live.

    Our strategic planning ensured that the new platform was not only technically sound but also designed to address Agenda Bookshop's specific business goals and customer needs.

    The Results:

    The replatforming project delivered significant, tangible outcomes that accelerated Agenda Bookshop’s online performance

    • Enhanced Performance
      : Comparing post-launch to the same period last year, we achieved a significant increase in AOV (over 44%), Conversion Rate (over 51%), and over 202% growth in Net Sales.
    • Reduced Manual Work
      : The new custom middleware substantially reduced the need for manual intervention in data syncing.
    • Faster Product Updates
      : Product information, pricing, and inventory changes now update much more quickly on the site.
    • Increased Marketing Confidence
      : The successful replatforming empowered the marketing team to confidently invest in paid media and email campaigns.
    • Enhanced Customer Experience
      : Site speed, navigation, and mobile usability were dramatically improved, leading to a smoother shopping journey.
    • Scalability Achieved
      : The move to Shopify Plus provided a scalable foundation for handling promotions, demand spikes, and future international expansion.

    Client Feedback:

    The team at Agenda Bookshop expressed high satisfaction with both the technical execution and the positive business impact of the project. They are now exploring further digital investments with confidence in their upgraded infrastructure:

    Frontleft has been an invaluable Shopify partner from the start. They expertly tackled our complex challenges with high SKU count and data feeds, reengineering our backend for Shopify Plus.Post-launch, we saw an immediate, significant conversion rate uplift.Their fantastic ongoing support removes all our Shopify stress!

    founder

    Debbie Cassar

    Ecommerce Manager – Agenda Bookshop