Illumicrate.
Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus with sleek subscriptions.
In migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus, Illumicrate aimed to take advantage of Shopify’s fast-moving roadmap, robust support, security, and scalability. In addition, by utilising Shopify’s native capabilities, they aimed to reduce technical debt, lower operating costs, and enhance subscription flexibility to increase AOV. Also on the list, the Illumicrate team sought to streamline time-consuming tasks, such as waitlist management, reduce unexplained bugs, and improve customer satisfaction. Finally, the brand wanted to enable the in-house team to make swift website modifications without developer intervention.
From a complex headless solution to a sleek, easy-to-expand site on Shopify Plus.
We managed the full migration from a complex headless solution (BigCommerce and WordPress) to Shopify Plus, aligning with Illumicrate’s ambitious growth goals. Utilising Shopify’s expansion stores, we created a US store, ensuring the Illumicrate team has a seamless path for further international growth in that market. This multi-store approach allows for a single codebase to be deployed across multiple instances (e.g. the UK and the US), reducing development effort and ensuring a consistent brand experience for Illumicrate customers globally.
Mitigating SEO impact post-migration.
To safeguard Illumicrate’s search engine visibility, we implemented an SEO strategy that addressed the structural changes inherent in the migration. By carefully managing URL redirects, optimising on-page content, and ensuring metadata integrity, we minimised any negative impact on organic search rankings and maintained their position in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Building visibility across the full customer journey.
We enhanced Illumicrate’s ability to track customer behaviour by upgrading its Data Layer for seamless integration with Google Analytics 4. This allowed for comprehensive tracking of user interactions, including product views, purchase funnels, and audience segmentation. Additionally, we configured Google Tag Manager to surface key data points for Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and other third-party marketing platforms. A custom pixel was also developed to further enhance the visibility of customer interactions. This richer data foundation empowers smarter, journey-led decisions from marketing segmentation to product planning.
A fresh, bespoke design reflecting Illumicrate’s world.
We crafted a bespoke Shopify Plus theme to mirror Illumicrate’s vibrant brand identity. The colourful design visually differentiates their various product offerings, including the Illumicrate, Afterlight, and Evernight boxes, using distinct branding elements so customers can quickly find what they’re looking for. We also used abstract shapes for the box promotion in the hero banners and sign-ups above the footer, and to further enhance user engagement, we incorporated animated elements such as GIFs in the ‘how to use’ section.
Plotting the perfect subscription experience.
We migrated Illumicrate’s Recharge subscription service, enabling them to take full advantage of all native Shopify and Recharge features. This unlocked a more intuitive, flexible subscription journey by allowing customers to easily manage frequency, preferences, and accounts with minimal friction.
By removing complexity from the subscription experience and designing around real customer needs, Illumicrate saw subscription revenue grow by 196.8% and subscription orders increase by 144.73%. Clear evidence of how optimised journeys directly drive sustainable growth.
We also implemented custom cart limitations to restrict certain product combinations and ensure a smooth checkout experience. For example, subscription items cannot be purchased in the same order as non-subscription products, so we’ve created rules to prevent this. Additionally, Illumicrate has limits on the number of items a customer can purchase, so if a customer has already bought a "one-time purchase" product, we have ensured that the "Add to Cart" button will be disabled to prevent repeat purchases. With these tailored controls, Illumicrate can maintain operational clarity and ensure every subscriber journey remains frictionless.
Streamlining the waitlist with native functionality.
Fulfilling another key project requirement, we automated Illumicrate’s previously time-consuming manual waitlist process. We used Shopify’s native waitlist functionality that’s also integrated with Klaviyo, allowing users to sign up, receive automated notifications, and purchase limited-availability products without relying on external tools.
To further support journey continuity, we also integrated key third-party solutions, including Yotpo for reviews, Boost Commerce for search and merchandising, Consentmo for cookies, Freshdesk for customer service, Matrixify for data migration, and Linnworks (UK) and Infoplus (US) for warehouse management.
Stronger subscription performance, smarter journeys, scalable growth.
Since migrating to Shopify Plus, Illumicrate has been thriving. During a major product launch, the brand achieved a 20% increase in conversion rate, driven by a smoother user experience and a more streamlined checkout.
Crucially, optimising the end-to-end subscription journey delivered significant commercial impact, with subscription revenue up 196.8% and subscription orders increasing by 144.73%. By removing friction and empowering customers with greater control, Illumicrate has strengthened retention and unlocked long-term, recurring growth.
With enhanced analytics through GA4 and Google Merchant Centre, the team now benefits from deeper visibility into customer behaviour, enabling more informed, journey-led marketing and product decisions. Operational efficiency has also improved through automation, freeing up internal teams to focus on storytelling, community, and innovation.
Backed by the scalability and flexibility of Shopify Plus, Illumicrate is well-positioned to continue growing its subscription base and expanding into new markets across the UK and the US.
