Shopify Development & Shopify Migrations
The Client: Shop It New (Online Retailer)
Services Offered: Shopify Development & Shopify Migrations
Period: July 2025 to August 2025
Introduction
Shop It New Labs, a South African e-commerce agency, partnered with Shop It New, a premium online retailer specializing in high-end technology and luxury audio products. The objective was to transform Shop It New’s digital presence from a slow, underperforming WooCommerce website into a robust, high-speed e-commerce platform that delivers a premium user experience.
About the Client
Founded in June 2022, Shop It New is a dedicated online retailer committed to providing South African customers with high-end technology and luxury audio products. As a premium online retailer for Apple products and an Authorised Reseller of Bang & Olufsen, Shop It New aims to elevate lifestyles by offering top-tier products with flexible payment options.
The Challenge
Shop It New’s growth was being hindered by its technical infrastructure. The WooCommerce site was hosted on a shared hosting environment in Cape Town, which led to severe performance bottlenecks.
Slow Website Speeds: Pages often took up to 9 seconds to fully load.
Poor User Experience: Long load times negatively impacted conversions and increased cart abandonment rates.
Inadequate Scalability: The shared hosting setup could not keep up with traffic surges or support an image-heavy, premium storefront.
Limited Flexibility: WooCommerce required constant plugin updates and technical maintenance, draining resources from growth-focused activities.
The Solution
Shop It New Labs designed and executed a full Shopify migration and development strategy:
Shopify Migration:
Migrated all product catalogs, customer data, and other assets seamlessly from WooCommerce to Shopify.
Custom Shopify Development:
Developed a premium Shopify storefront optimized for speed and scalability.
Integrated flexible payment solutions (PayFast, Mobicred, RCS, and Happy Pay) to maintain device afforadabilty for South Africans.
Implemented Shopify-native analytics and SEO optimization tools to improve visibility and conversion tracking.
Enhanced UX/UI Design:
Introduced a modern, minimalist UI aligning with Apple and Bang & Olufsen’s luxury brand standards.
Improved navigation, product filtering, and checkout flow to reduce friction in the customer journey.
Designed an image-heavy but optimized storefront, balancing aesthetics with performance.
The Results
The Shopify migration delivered immediate and measurable improvements for Shop It New:
Website Speed Boost: Load times dropped from 9 seconds to under 3 seconds across all devices.
Improved Conversion Rates: Faster performance and streamlined checkout that increases sales conversions.
Scalability & Reliability: Shopify’s cloud infrastructure (powered by Google Cloud) ensured uninterrupted uptime and the ability to handle high-traffic campaigns.
Premium User Experience: Customers enjoyed a seamless shopping journey that reflected the luxury nature of Shop It New’s products.
Reduced Technical Overhead: Freed from plugin conflicts and hosting limitations, Shop It New could focus on marketing, customer acquisition, and expansion.
Conclusion
The Shopify migration and Shopify development by Shop It New Labs successfully positioned Shop It New for sustainable growth in South Africa’s premium e-commerce sector. By delivering speed, scalability, and a luxurious user experience, Shop It New now stands as a future-ready online retailer capable of delighting high-value customers and scaling with demand.