Case Studies

    Real Stores, Real Results

    Every project is a partnership. Here's how we've helped brands grow — from start-ups finding their feet to heritage names reclaiming their edge.

    Shopify Migration

    HiHo Silver

    hihosilver.co.uk

    A beloved British jewellery brand, migrated from PrestaShop to Shopify ahead of Christmas

    HiHo Silver is a much-loved British jewellery brand rooted in the countryside — adored by equestrians, country lovers, and gift buyers across the UK. When their PrestaShop platform started holding them back, we delivered a full migration to Shopify, carefully timed to go live well ahead of the peak Christmas trading period.

    The Challenge

    HiHo Silver's PrestaShop store had served them well, but the team were hitting real frustrations. Day-to-day management required more technical effort than it should. Setting up personalisation options like engraving was fiddly and confusing for customers. Stock from their 16+ annual shows had to be manually reconciled with online sales. Marketing integrations were limited, and with Christmas fast approaching, there was real urgency to move to a more capable platform.

    Our Solution

    We planned a meticulous migration in clear stages so the team could keep running the business while we handled the tech. A fresh Shopify store was built with their distinctive purple-forward country feel. All 500+ products were migrated along with customer and order history. We built bespoke personalisation features, gift wrap at checkout, multi-address shipping, and connected Shopify POS for real-time event sales. Key URLs were preserved or redirected to protect SEO rankings.

    500+ products migrated

    with full customer and order history

    Unified POS

    event and online sales connected in real time

    SEO protected

    all key URLs preserved or redirected

    "Chain handled everything brilliantly. The migration was seamless and the new store is so much easier to manage. We couldn't be happier with the results."

    — HiHo Silver
    MigrationPrestaShopShopifyPOSPersonalisation

    ASP.NET to Shopify Migration

    Equetech

    equetech.com

    A leading equestrian brand, migrated from legacy ASP.NET to Shopify with full B2B integration

    Equetech is a renowned British equestrian clothing brand, trusted by riders and retailers across the UK for decades. When their ageing ASP.NET platform became a barrier to growth, we delivered a complete migration to Shopify — and integrated SparkLayer to power their wholesale B2B channel alongside their direct-to-consumer store.

    The Challenge

    Equetech's legacy ASP.NET website was increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain. Updates required developer involvement for even simple content changes. The platform couldn't support modern eCommerce expectations — mobile performance was poor, integrations were limited, and managing both B2C and B2B sales through the same system was clunky and inefficient. With a loyal wholesale network relying on them, any migration had to preserve those relationships while modernising the experience.

    Our Solution

    We planned and executed a full migration from ASP.NET to Shopify, rebuilding the storefront with a clean, mobile-first design that reflected Equetech's premium brand positioning. The entire product catalogue, customer accounts, and order history were carefully migrated. We integrated SparkLayer to deliver a seamless B2B experience — giving wholesale customers dedicated login access, custom pricing tiers, quick-order functionality, and real-time stock visibility. SEO was protected throughout with comprehensive URL redirects and metadata preservation.

    SparkLayer B2B integrated

    wholesale pricing, quick-order and stock visibility

    Faster site performance

    modern Shopify storefront replacing legacy ASP.NET

    SEO preserved

    full URL redirect mapping and metadata migration

    "Amazing company! Understood our brief to implement a new Shopify website and migrating our existing data. Rupert was extremely knowledgeable and discussed how our project could be implemented. Kept to timelines, went above and beyond! Would highly recommend We are Chain!"

    — Liz Hayman, Equetech
    MigrationASP.NETShopifySparkLayerB2B

    Magento to Shopify Migration

    Hannah Turner

    hannahturner.co.uk

    A thriving ceramics brand rescued from a failing Magento platform and migrated to Shopify

    Hannah Turner is a beloved British ceramics brand based in Bradford on Avon, founded at university in 1991. With a team of four shipping beautiful handmade designs all over the globe, Hannah's business had outgrown its Magento platform — and previous agencies had let her down. We stepped in to deliver a smooth, fast migration to Shopify that transformed her online sales.

    The Challenge

    Hannah had built a successful ecommerce business on Magento, selling internationally. But the platform had become a liability. Making changes wasn't straightforward, previous agencies had failed to maintain the site properly, and critical functionality had stopped working — the equivalent of running on a flat tyre. With sales at stake and confidence in her tech partners at an all-time low, Hannah needed a reliable team to get her business back on track.

    Our Solution

    We migrated Hannah Turner from Magento to Shopify quickly and methodically. We selected a theme built for growth, migrated the full product catalogue, customer data, and order history, and had the new store live in a matter of weeks. SEO redirects were put in place to protect search rankings, and we provided 3 months of post-launch support to ensure Hannah and her team felt completely confident on the new platform.

    Real boost in sales

    'kerching' notifications from Shopify of new sales

    Weeks, not months

    swift migration with a switched-on client

    3-month support included

    post-launch backup and relationship building

    "FIVE STAR service from Rupert and Jim! We recently migrated our website to Shopify with We Are Chain, and can't rate them highly enough, every step of the way they were SO helpful, responding really quickly to any questions or issues and helping by holding our hands as we navigated the new platform. They helped us get up and running really quickly (as we had been badly let down by a previous company), made the transition really smooth, and are still available to us if we have any questions about tweaking our new site and adding apps etc. As a result we have seen a real boost in sales, and I get very excited every time I hear the 'kerching' notification from Shopify of another sale!"

    — Hannah Turner, Director & Designer, Hannah Turner Ceramics
    MigrationMagentoShopifyCeramics

    Shopify Design & Build

    The Spongeware Company

    thespongewarecompany.com

    From zero to a thriving storefront in 6 weeks

    A start-up pottery brand with big ambitions needed an online home that matched the beauty of their handmade products. We built a fully custom Shopify store from scratch — and the results spoke for themselves.

    The Challenge

    The Spongeware Company had a growing following on social media but no e-commerce presence. They needed a store that captured the artisan quality of their ceramics, handled product variations elegantly, and converted browsers into buyers — all on a start-up budget.

    Our Solution

    We designed a bespoke Shopify theme around their brand identity, optimised product pages with lifestyle photography layouts, implemented smart upselling at checkout, and set up abandoned cart recovery flows through Klaviyo integration.

    3× conversions

    in the first month of trading

    42% AOV increase

    through intelligent upselling

    6-week delivery

    from brief to live storefront

    "Chain didn't just build us a shop — they built us a business. The store practically sells itself."

    — Founder, The Spongeware Company
    ShopifyCustom ThemeKlaviyoConversions

    Shopify Training Programme

    Henri Lloyd

    henrilloyd.com

    Empowering a heritage brand's teams with comprehensive Shopify training

    Henri Lloyd is a legendary British sailing brand with over 50 years of heritage. After migrating to Shopify Plus, they needed their entire organisation to feel confident on the new platform — from admin and customer service through to marketing and finance. We delivered a tailored, multi-department training programme including on-site POS training at their flagship Lymington store.

    The Challenge

    With multiple departments relying on the platform daily, Henri Lloyd needed more than a simple handover. Their admin team needed to manage orders and inventory efficiently, customer service required tools to handle enquiries and returns, marketing needed to run campaigns and update content confidently, and finance needed reporting and reconciliation workflows. On top of that, their flagship store in Lymington was launching Shopify POS and staff needed hands-on, in-person training.

    Our Solution

    We designed a bespoke training programme covering every department. Admin received deep-dive sessions on order management, inventory, and fulfilment workflows. Customer service were trained on customer lookup, order editing, returns, and refund processes. Marketing learned content updates, discount creation, email campaign integration, and analytics. Finance were walked through Shopify's reporting suite, payment reconciliation, and export tools. Finally, we travelled to their flagship store in Lymington to deliver on-site POS training — covering till operations, stock checks, exchanges, and end-of-day procedures.

    4 departments trained

    Admin, CS, Marketing & Finance

    On-site POS training

    Flagship store, Lymington

    Team confidence

    Self-sufficient within 2 weeks

    "We are Chain (and Rupert) stepped in to help us with the Shopify platform when we transitioned from an older Centra-based website. We needed a company who could help us with some basic training on navigating the new platform and also to assist us in getting the right apps in place to solve various problems as they appeared. A huge support to our B2B customer service team in finding the right solutions and also to our Ecom team in resolving some of the niggles that we experienced as we transitioned."

    — Jane Alwyn, Henri Lloyd
    TrainingShopify PlusPOSMulti-department

    Shopify Training

    The Reading Agency

    readingagency.org.uk

    Hands-on Shopify training that gave a national charity full control of their store

    The Reading Agency inspires millions to read across the UK. When they launched their Shopify store, the team needed to be fully self-sufficient — updating products, managing orders, running promotions, and pulling reports without relying on outside help. We delivered a comprehensive, tailored Shopify training programme that left every team member confident and capable.

    The Challenge

    As a charity operating with limited resources, The Reading Agency couldn't justify ongoing agency fees for routine store updates. Their team had varying levels of technical confidence and needed training that met each person where they were — from basic product uploads and image editing through to discount code creation, inventory management, and interpreting Shopify analytics. They needed to hit the ground running.

    Our Solution

    We designed a structured Shopify training programme delivered across multiple hands-on sessions. Product management training covered creating and editing products, managing variants, collections, and tags. Order and fulfilment workshops walked the team through processing orders, handling refunds, and managing customer enquiries. Marketing sessions focused on discount codes, automated email flows, and updating homepage content. We also delivered analytics training so the team could track performance and make data-driven decisions. Every session was supported by custom step-by-step documentation tailored to their specific store setup.

    Full team trained

    across multiple tailored workshop sessions

    100% self-sufficient

    team manages all day-to-day operations independently

    Data-confident

    team now tracks and acts on store analytics

    "The training was exactly what we needed — practical, patient, and tailored to our team. We now manage the entire store ourselves with total confidence."

    — Shop Manager, The Reading Agency
    Shopify TrainingNon-profitDocumentationAnalytics

    WordPress to Shopify Migration

    MM Ingredients

    mmingredients.co.uk

    A specialist supplier, streamlined and scaled on Shopify

    MM Ingredients is a trusted UK-based supplier of premium gelatine and collagen for the food, health, and cosmetic industries. When their WordPress site could no longer keep pace with the business, we migrated them to Shopify — cutting admin overhead and giving their brand the professional presence it deserved.

    The Challenge

    Their WordPress and WooCommerce setup was slow, difficult to manage, and no longer fit for purpose. Inventory updates were manual and error-prone, the product catalogue was fragmented with inconsistent naming and variants, and the site's visuals didn't reflect the quality of their products.

    Our Solution

    We migrated all customer accounts, order history, and the full product catalogue to Shopify, amalgamating product lines into a streamlined shopping experience. A clean, mobile-first store was designed with intuitive filtering and high-converting product pages. We integrated SparkLayer to connect real-time B2B pricing tiers, live stock visibility, and wholesale customer management directly from their backend systems.

    30% faster load times

    significant speed improvement across all pages

    60% less admin time

    automated stock and pricing management

    Brand authority boost

    modern visuals and professional design

    "Great company! The whole team was excellent. Rupert was a great help throughout the whole process of redesigning my website, offering advice, and always been available to discuss issues. We Are Chain made the transition from a WooCommerce website to a Shopify website very simple. I would recommend them anytime."

    — MM Ingredients
    MigrationWordPressShopifySparkLayerB2B

    WordPress Redesign

    Luccombe Hub

    luccombehub.com

    A cleaner, modern WordPress platform for a specialist SEND school

    Luccombe Hub is a specialist SEND school that relies on its website to communicate with families, staff, and the wider community. After years of incremental updates, their WordPress site had become dated and difficult to maintain. We delivered a complete platform upgrade with a fresh, modern design — giving the team a site they could manage confidently and update at pace when it matters most.

    The Challenge

    As a SEND school, Luccombe Hub's website needs to be updated frequently and at short notice — whether it's safeguarding information, policy changes, or urgent communications to parents. Their existing WordPress installation had become outdated, cluttered, and increasingly difficult for non-technical staff to manage. The design no longer reflected the quality of the school, and the platform needed modernising to stay secure and maintainable.

    Our Solution

    We upgraded Luccombe Hub's WordPress platform to a cleaner, more modern version — streamlining the backend for easier day-to-day management. A fresh design was implemented that better represented the school's values and made key information easy to find. We ensured the new site was accessible, mobile-friendly, and structured so that emergency changes could be made quickly by the team without needing developer support.

    Rapid emergency updates

    staff can publish urgent changes independently

    Modern redesign

    clean, professional look reflecting the school's quality

    Simplified management

    upgraded WordPress platform, easier to maintain

    "We are Chain have supported our business for a number of years developing our website and implementing emergency changes, as a SEND school this can happen frequently. Highly recommend them as a professional and friendly team."

    — Henri Monier-Williams, Luccombe Hub
    WordPressRedesignEducationSEND

    Shopify Design & Build

    Geronimo Jones

    geronimojones.co.uk

    A distinctive jewellery brand brought to life on Shopify

    Geronimo Jones is a distinctive British jewellery brand offering necklaces, bracelets, earrings, cufflinks, and accessories for every occasion. We designed and built a Shopify store with bespoke gift-finding features and personalisation options.

    The Challenge

    Geronimo Jones needed a Shopify store that could showcase their unique designs, handle personalisation like engraving, and make it effortless for customers to find the perfect gift — whether shopping by event, recipient, or milestone birthday.

    Our Solution

    We designed and built a custom Shopify store with an innovative gift selector, personalisation features, and intuitive navigation by occasion and recipient. The store puts the jewellery front and centre with lifestyle photography and a clean, elegant design.

    Bespoke jewellery store

    designed to showcase a unique product range

    Gift selector built in

    shop by occasion, birthday, and recipient

    Brand-led design

    reflecting Geronimo Jones' distinctive identity

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildJewelleryPersonalisation

    Shopify Design & Build

    Just Vapes & Juices

    justvapesandjuices.co.uk

    A compliant vaping retailer built for the modern shopper

    Just Vapes & Juices is a UK vaping retailer offering devices, kits, e-liquids, and accessories. We built a compliant Shopify store with age verification, smart product filtering, and a mobile-first design.

    The Challenge

    Operating in a regulated industry, Just Vapes & Juices needed a Shopify store that met UK vaping regulations while providing a seamless shopping experience across devices, kits, flavours, and strengths.

    Our Solution

    We designed and built a compliant Shopify store with integrated age verification, organised product catalogues with smart filtering by device type and flavour, and a mobile-first responsive design.

    Age verified & compliant

    built to meet UK vaping regulations

    Smart product filtering

    easy browsing by device, flavour, and strength

    Mobile-first design

    responsive store for on-the-go shoppers

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildVapingCompliance

    Shopify Design & Build

    The Miniature Marketplace

    theminiaturemarketplace.co.uk

    A world of dolls house miniatures, beautifully organised on Shopify

    The Miniature Marketplace is a specialist retailer of dolls house miniatures, furniture, and accessories. We built a Shopify store with an innovative 'Shop by Room' navigation system for over 1,000 products.

    The Challenge

    With over 1,000 products across dozens of categories, The Miniature Marketplace needed intuitive navigation that made browsing feel natural — not overwhelming. The store had to handle complex product variants and scales.

    Our Solution

    We designed a 'Shop by Room' navigation system that lets customers explore miniatures by where they'd go in a dolls house — from kitchens and bedrooms to gardens and shops. Smart filtering and clear categorisation make the huge catalogue easy to browse.

    Shop by Room navigation

    intuitive browsing by room and category

    1000+ products organised

    dolls house miniatures and accessories

    Smart filtering

    find the perfect miniature quickly

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildMiniaturesLarge Catalogue

    Shopify Design & Build

    Crosby Coffee

    crosbycoffee.co.uk

    A specialty coffee roastery with subscriptions built in from day one

    Crosby Coffee is a specialty coffee roastery offering premium blends, brewing equipment, merchandise, and gift hampers. We built a Shopify store with multiple subscription tiers and a brand-led design.

    The Challenge

    Crosby Coffee needed an online store that matched the quality of their coffee — with subscription functionality for recurring revenue, gift options, and even office coffee delivery. The store had to tell their brand story while driving conversions.

    Our Solution

    We designed and built a custom Shopify store with multiple subscription tiers (coffee, decaf, gift, and office), curated gift hampers, and a warm, brand-led design that showcases their specialty blends.

    Subscription functionality

    recurring revenue built in from launch

    4 subscription tiers

    coffee, decaf, gift, and office

    Gift-ready

    curated hampers and gift subscriptions

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildSubscriptionsCoffee

    Shopify Design & Build

    Nags Essentials

    nagsessentials.co.uk

    A comprehensive equestrian retailer built for riders and their horses

    Nags Essentials is an equestrian clothing and tack retailer catering to riders of all levels. We built a Shopify store with intuitive categorisation for an extensive product range covering rider and horse.

    The Challenge

    With products spanning womens, mens, and kids riding wear, plus horse care, stable accessories, and competition equipment, Nags Essentials needed clear navigation that made it easy for customers to find exactly what they need.

    Our Solution

    We built a Shopify store with smart categorisation by rider type and horse products, comprehensive size and variant management, and mobile-optimised design for equestrians browsing on the go.

    Specialist equestrian store

    clothing, tack, and accessories for riders

    Extensive catalogue

    womens, mens, kids, and horse products

    Smart navigation

    shop by category, discipline, and brand

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildEquestrianRetail

    Shopify Design & Build

    WAT Kitchen

    watkitchen.co.uk

    A vibrant D2C food brand selling authentic Asian ready meals

    WAT Kitchen is a vibrant food brand selling authentic Asian ready meals — from Pad Thai noodles and Kung Pao to teriyaki chicken. We built a Shopify store with bundle options and a mobile-first shopping experience.

    The Challenge

    WAT Kitchen needed a Shopify store that showcased their colourful product range, made it easy to order mixed cases and bundles, and told their brand story — all with a clean, appetising design that drove direct-to-consumer sales.

    Our Solution

    We designed and built a custom Shopify store with mixed case functionality, product organisation by cuisine and dietary needs, lifestyle photography, and a vibrant design that brings the brand to life.

    Asian cuisine showcase

    noodles, rice dishes, and protein bites

    Mixed cases & bundles

    curated multi-flavour packs

    D2C direct sales

    selling direct to consumers online

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildFood & DrinkD2C

    Shopify Design & Build

    Douée

    douee.co.uk

    A luxury lifestyle brand with an elegant online presence

    Douée is a luxury lifestyle brand offering pashminas, ponchos, cashmere throws, scented candles, and premium home accessories. We designed a Shopify store that reflects the elegance and warmth of their products.

    The Challenge

    Douée needed a Shopify store that communicated luxury and quality — with clean typography, lifestyle imagery, and collections organised across fashion, gifts, home décor, and seasonal offerings.

    Our Solution

    We designed and built an elegant Shopify store with premium brand aesthetics, gift-ready product presentation, and collections organised by lifestyle category. The store reflects the personal touch that Lisa & Peter bring to everything they sell.

    Luxury brand design

    elegant aesthetic matching premium products

    Fashion & Home

    pashminas, candles, throws, and décor

    Lifestyle collections

    organised by fashion, gifts, and home

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildLuxuryLifestyle

    Shopify Design & Build

    Purrfect Cat Gifts

    purrfectcatgifts.co.uk

    The ultimate destination for cat lovers, built on Shopify

    Purrfect Cat Gifts is a niche retailer dedicated to cat lovers — offering everything from cat-themed clothing and jewellery to homeware, stationery, and gifts. We built a fun, colourful Shopify store with smart promotions.

    The Challenge

    Purrfect Cat Gifts needed a vibrant Shopify store that appealed to cat lovers, with gift collections organised by recipient, promotional mechanics like 3-for-2 offers, and a same-day dispatch promise to delight customers.

    Our Solution

    We built a fun, colourful Shopify store with gift collections organised by recipient, 3-for-2 mix & match promotions on cards, free UK delivery on all orders, and same-day dispatch — making it the go-to destination for cat-themed presents.

    Cat lovers' dream store

    everything cat-themed in one place

    Gift-ready collections

    organised by recipient and occasion

    Rated excellent

    outstanding customer reviews

    ""

    ShopifyDesign & BuildGiftsNiche Retail

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