Revenue Increase
Conversion Rate Lift
Lower Cart Abandonment
Time to Results
The Client
Summit Outfitters is a family-owned outdoor gear retailer established in 1978. With three brick-and-mortar locations across the Pacific Northwest and a loyal customer base built over four decades, they represented the quintessential heritage brand: trusted quality, deep expertise, but struggling to translate that equity into the digital age.
Their existing e-commerce platform, built in 2012, was showing its age. Mobile traffic accounted for 68% of visits but only 22% of conversions. Their checkout process had seven steps. Product discovery was buried under outdated navigation patterns. The brand was bleeding market share to direct-to-consumer startups and outdoor retail giants alike.
Modernize Without Losing Soul
Technical Debt
Legacy platform couldn't support modern features. Mobile experience was broken. Page load times exceeded 8 seconds.
Customer Friction
Complex checkout process. Poor product filtering. No personalization. Cart abandonment rate at 78%.
Market Pressure
Losing ground to DTC brands and Amazon. Younger demographics didn't discover the brand online.
Brand Identity Risk
Fear of alienating loyal customers. Need to honor 45-year heritage while appealing to new audiences.
The All-Terrain Strategy
Phase 1: Discovery & Foundation
We conducted deep customer research, analyzing 18 months of behavioral data, interviewing 47 loyal customers, and mapping the complete customer journey. We identified that the brand's heritage was an asset, not a liability—but only if expressed through modern user experience patterns.
- Customer journey mapping across all touchpoints
- Competitive analysis of 12 direct and indirect competitors
- Technical audit revealing 47 critical performance bottlenecks
Phase 2: Platform Migration & Optimization
We migrated to a modern headless commerce architecture, prioritizing mobile-first design and sub-2-second page loads. The new platform maintained the brand's warm, authentic voice while implementing conversion-optimized patterns proven in modern e-commerce.
- Headless Shopify Plus implementation with custom React frontend
- Reduced checkout from 7 steps to 2 with guest checkout option
- AI-powered product recommendations based on activity and expertise level
- Smart filtering by activity, season, skill level, and brand heritage collections
Phase 3: Content & Community Strategy
We leveraged Summit's 45 years of expertise by building a content hub featuring trail guides, gear education, and customer stories. This positioned the brand as a trusted advisor, not just a retailer—driving organic traffic and building authority.
- Editorial content strategy with 2 expert articles per week
- User-generated content integration from Instagram and customer reviews
- Email nurture sequences based on browsing behavior and purchase history
Phase 4: Growth & Optimization
Post-launch, we implemented continuous A/B testing, conversion rate optimization, and strategic paid media campaigns. Every decision was data-informed, every change measured against revenue impact.
- Monthly A/B testing program with 12-15 experiments per month
- Performance marketing across Google, Meta, and Pinterest
- Retention campaigns targeting lapsed customers with personalized offers
Beyond Expectations
Revenue Growth
Online revenue increased from $2.1M to $8.1M annually within 8 months of launch.
Conversion Rate
Conversion rate more than doubled through optimized UX and streamlined checkout.
Average Order Value
Smart recommendations and bundling strategies increased AOV from $127 to $170.
Customer Retention
Repeat purchase rate jumped from 23% to 43% through email nurture and loyalty program.
"Rivvy didn't just build us a new website. They helped us understand who we are in the digital age. Our heritage is now our competitive advantage, not our liability. Revenue is up, but more importantly, we're reaching the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts without losing the trust of our loyal customers."
Jennifer Martinez
CEO, Summit Outfitters