Leading UK shoe seller sees major improvements in checkout and overall site speed after replatforming on BigCommerce

BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC), an open SaaS, composable ecommerce platform for fast-growing and established B2C and B2B brands and retailers, and Soletrader today announced that the global premium footwear and accessories retailer has launched its new headless and composable website on the BigCommerce platform.

Founded over 60 years ago, Soletrader is known for its curated branded collections, ranging from vintage classics to modern originals. The company has more than 28 brick-and-mortar stores and concessions across the UK, trading as Soletrader and Sole. Soletrader sells its collections of brands including On, Veja, New Balance, Dr. Martens, Birkenstock, V.GAN and many more globally to its loyal customers.

“We had replatformed our previous websites only three years ago, and they were very much still fit for purpose,“ said Marcel Bordon, CEO of Soletrader. “But we decided to flex our in-house tech capabilities and replatform again to position ourselves at the cutting edge of technology now and in the future. This is our commitment to continue innovating and evolving our technology to deliver an incredible experience for our customers and our brands.”

The new site takes advantage of BigCommerce’s open, flexible platform to underpin an innovative composable commerce storefront, leveraging Storyblok for content, search and merchandising from Algolia, marketing operations from Klaviyo and hosted on Next.js infrastructure from Vercel. BigCommerce partner Cygnet Digital, an award-winning agency specializing in headless commerce, oversaw development of the project in a dynamic partnership with Soletrader’s in-house team.

“We were thrilled to partner with Soletrader, BigCommerce and others on this transformative project,” said Peter Ross, managing director at Cygnet Digital. “We created a cutting-edge, headless ecommerce solution that not only meets Soletrader’s current needs but also sets them up for future success. The collaborative effort and innovative technology stack have resulted in a platform that truly elevates the customer experience.”

Soletrader’s website now presents customers with a stunning new UI/UX, designed in-house by the Soletrader team, delivering a unique and compelling brand story. Shoppers are experiencing blazing fast page load speeds due to the Next.js frontend and React Server Components behind the scenes. They benefit from Soletrader’s optimized checkout and seamless Click & Collect – also known as Buy Online, Pick-up In Store (BOPIS) – process. With Multi-language and Multi-storefront channels enabled by Storyblok and BigCommerce, Soletrader integrated multiple ecommerce functionalities into a single store backend for more efficient management.

“Soletrader considers itself a technology company that sells shoes, and they’ve proven that with this new website that is both beautiful and well built,” said Mark Adams, senior vice president and general manager of EMEA at BigCommerce. “Leveraging key technologies from industry leaders such as Algolia, Klaviyo, Storyblok and Vercel, Soletrader is now ready to evolve quickly to stay ahead of the market.”

"By successfully implementing state-of-the-art solutions, our partner Cygnet Digital enabled Soletrader to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience,” said Barry D’Arcy, vice president of partners at Storyblok. “This project underscores our commitment to cultivating innovative partnerships that enhance customer engagement across all touchpoints, demonstrating our dedication to driving exceptional and consistent customer experiences."

Soletrader is the latest fashion and apparel brand to launch on BigCommerce, including Badgley Mischka, Rohan and White Stuff. For more information on BigCommerce’s ecommerce solutions for fashion and apparel, click here.

To learn more about how to build a resilient tech ecosystem using composable commerce principles, download BigCommerce’s recent guide Resilient Ecommerce Architecture: Build to scale with composable commerce.

About BigCommerce

BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC) is a leading open SaaS and composable ecommerce platform that empowers brands and retailers of all sizes to build, innovate and grow their businesses online. BigCommerce provides its customers sophisticated enterprise-grade functionality, customization and performance with simplicity and ease-of-use. Tens of thousands of B2C and B2B companies across 150 countries and numerous industries rely on BigCommerce, including Burrow, Coldwater Creek, Francesca’s, Harvey Nichols, King Arthur Baking Co., MKM Building Supplies, United Aqua Group and Uplift Desk. For more information, please visit www.bigcommerce.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

About Soletrader

For over 60 years Soletrader has serviced its customers’ passion to discover quality footwear and innovative cutting-edge designs. In all these years, the business has had the same hunger and drive to remain independent and to provide the best and most knowledgeable service to those who also think independently, the individuals, the Soletraders.

Founded in 1946, and a retailer since 1962, Soletrader has worked with storied brands such as Dr Martens, Veja and Ugg since the beginning of their own journey. Soletrader provides its customers with an eclectic range of contemporary casual, designer, performance-based, heritage, and breakout footwear.

Today Soletrader deploys its knowledge to discover and showcase the latest technological innovations housed within the best of premium design. Soletrader is an early adopter giving oxygen to the brands of tomorrow, with an industry-leading focus on tech in all parts of its business.

Visit soletrader.co.uk or soletradershoes.com, and follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

BigCommerce® is a registered trademark of BigCommerce Pty. Ltd. Third-party trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

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