How LAKOR Migrated from Magento to Shopify to Scale with Ease
LAKOR, a Danish clothing brand, has made significant strides in the fashion industry since its inception. Founded by childhood friends Lasse, Kasper, and Jesper, LAKOR was born out of a desire to create a more playful and graphic clothing brand. Their journey began during a night drive at surf camp, where they envisioned a brand that would embody creativity, responsibility, and exploration.
The Challenge: A Complex, Fragile Site
Initially, LAKOR utilized Adobe Commerce (Magento) for their eCommerce platform, drawn in by its cost-effectiveness. However, they quickly discovered that Magento required extensive developer resources, making it a complex and fragile solution. Jesper, the co-founder and CTO, found the backend of Magento to be intimidating and cumbersome, which led to him becoming a bottleneck for essential tasks like product creation and description entry.
Jesper expressed the stress of managing a fragile system that could break down at any moment, making it impossible to enjoy time off without the worry of having to fix sudden issues. The need for agility and scalability became evident, as Magento was not fulfilling these requirements for LAKOR.
The Solution: Transitioning to Shopify
Recognizing the limitations of Magento, Jesper made the decision to migrate to Shopify. While replatforming is often seen as a daunting task, Jesper approached the migration with excitement. He found coding on Shopify to be enjoyable, a stark contrast to his experience with Magento. Despite being the sole IT resource and learning Liquid coding along the way, Jesper successfully completed the migration as a side project in just a few months.
His advice for others considering a similar migration is to avoid stressing about making everything custom from the start. Instead, he suggests leveraging existing themes and iterating on designs over time.
The Results: Sustainable Growth
Switching to Shopify resulted in a significant improvement in LAKOR’s online presence. The new site is lightning-fast and meets all Core Web Vitals assessments on both mobile and desktop. Previously, LAKOR’s site was hosted in Denmark, which led to slow loading times for international customers. Now, with Shopify’s global server infrastructure, site speed is no longer a concern.
Jesper noted that the user-friendly admin interface of Shopify felt like a leap into the modern era compared to their previous system. It allowed him to manage multiple sites across different markets with ease, enabling LAKOR to expand without feeling overwhelmed.
In addition to enhancing their direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce operations, LAKOR has also streamlined other sales channels, including B2B and in-store sales through Shopify’s Point of Sale (POS) system. This integration has made inventory management across locations more efficient and has facilitated local pickup options for customers.
Looking Ahead: Future Plans for LAKOR
As LAKOR continues to grow, they are looking to expand internationally, entering new markets while maintaining a synergy between their online storefronts and wholesale retailers. Jesper encourages anyone interested in collaborating or who knows potential markets for LAKOR to reach out. He is confident that Shopify will support their growth ambitions.
Jesper emphasized that LAKOR has grown alongside Shopify, benefiting from rapid developments in the platform. This has minimized the need for significant investments in custom solutions, as Shopify provides the necessary tools for online, in-store, and wholesale sales, all integrated seamlessly.
Conclusion
LAKOR’s migration from Magento to Shopify exemplifies how businesses can successfully scale while staying true to their core values. The transition has allowed them to focus on sustainable growth without sacrificing their relationships or the quality of their products.
Frequently Asked Questions
LAKOR found Magento to be complex and fragile, requiring extensive developer resources. The need for a more agile and scalable solution led them to migrate to Shopify, which offered a user-friendly interface and better performance.
Switching to Shopify resulted in a faster website, improved user experience, and the ability to manage multiple sales channels efficiently. LAKOR also benefited from Shopify’s global server infrastructure, which enhanced site speed for international customers.
Since migrating to Shopify, LAKOR has experienced consistent growth, expanding from one to three markets and increasing its workforce from 15 to 32 employees. They have also maintained a focus on sustainable growth that prioritizes their core values.
Note: The information provided in this article is based on the experiences of LAKOR and may vary for other businesses considering a migration from Magento to Shopify.
