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Bauer Hockey Corporation is known internationally for developing the most innovative products in the industry, starting with the first skates built in the 1920’s. As the market leader and most trusted brand in hockey equipment continued to grow, it became weighed down on a commerce platform with complex customizations, slow mobility to release new features/functionality, and heavy reliance on development support.
In Q4 2022, Bauer stormed the online arena with its continued commitment to innovation: a strategic redesign & replatform play on Shopify. To build the new Shopify infrastructure, CQL partnered with Bauer in a co-development relationship, leading the platform migration, Shopify design and build, integrations, and support.
The new site pushes the boundaries with an innovative design that engages users:
With a simplified technology stack, increased speed to market for new features, lower costs, and exponential growth opportunities, Bauer has given its marketing team the ability to enhance the consumer experience daily, provide a dynamic onsite experience, and maintain its edge in growing the Bauer brand.
Site
migration
Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify
RESULTS
60% Revenue Increase
30% Order Increase
18% Conversion Rate Increase
Technology
Shopify
Custom Middleware (OMS)
Avalara
Klaviyo
Loop Returns
Searchspring
SAP
Scribe
Yotpo
Bauer Hockey is the world’s leading designer, developer, manufacturer and marketer of ice hockey equipment. Founded in Kitchener, Ontario in 1927, Bauer developed the first skate with a blade attached to a boot, forever changing the game of hockey. Since then, Bauer has continued to develop the most innovative products in the industry.
As Bauer attempted to modernize their brand, introduce new site features, and built partnerships with new brands; they found themselves beholden to their current platform, hindering Bauer’s ability to grow and innovate. The Bauer team needed a strategic replatform move, shifting to a cost effective, simpler tech stack that allowed for agility and growth.
Geared up with a new design, Bauer’s new ecosystem significantly lowers heavy IT support and provides a foundation to build out additional brands quickly and cost effectively. Bauer’s site gives internal teams the flexibility & control needed to drive revenue, reach new demographics, improve conversion and AOV, and provide a dynamic onsite experience.
The new site introduces Bauer’s new design vision, innovating itself as a lifestyle brand to customers. Bauer focuses on diversity and inclusion, hockey culture, and a user experience that appeals to former hockey players, hockey fans, and general winter outdoor enthusiasts.
With their strategic replatform move, Bauer benefits from a new page designer tool, providing their team full control to ramp up on-site content, assist shoppers with purchases, educate buyers on products, and build out storytelling throughout the site.
Shopify is impressive with its ability to integrate with a marketplace full of 3rd party apps or enhance with custom code. Bauer’s new site featured several customizations, including:
CQL recommended Searchspring for its easy integration and proven success in increasing conversions on Shopify Plus. Once integrated, Bauer quickly leveraged Searchspring’s robust merchandising suite – utilizing campaign scheduling, inline banners, product pinning, and more. Tailored product suggestions are also placed strategically throughout the site, offering hyper-relevant and personalized recommendations for customers based on previous shopping behaviors.
Within the first 4 months of leveraging Searchspring, 14% of orders were attributed to search. Bauer’s online store experienced a 2.6x increase in revenue and a 2.2x increase in conversion rates from shoppers using search than those not using search.
CQL’s search engine optimization team supported Bauer’s migration to Shopify with extensive pre-launch and post-launch site maintenance and management. SEO experts carefully curated 301 redirects, researched and implemented targeted meta data, and leveraged years of established search value at Bauer to create more 1st-page rankings than ever before.
The final score? A 49% increase in organic revenue in the first six months on Shopify Plus.
Bauer’s customers can now experience the love of hockey like never before with their new MVP Loyalty Program! Bauer’s MVP program, built using Shopify, Yotpo, and CQL’s custom development, builds strong customer relationships by providing a practical, educational and fun way to engage with the Bauer brand.
Bauer’s highly-custom loyalty program is free to join, giving customer incentives for online & in-store purchases, friend referrals, SMS and email subscriptions, social media follows, and more! New members start at Tier 1 “Rookie” level, featuring free returns, early access to sales, and 5 “shots” or entries in reward sweepstakes. As points accumulate, members can advance to Tier 2 featuring an additional perk of free shipping on $99+ orders and 10 “shots,” and Tier 3 featuring free shipping with no minimums, exclusive event invites, and 20 “shots.”
By encouraging customers to actively “get in the game” with stacking up rewards and more chances to win sweepstakes, Bauer is driving higher average customer lifetime value, encouraging industry-leading likelihood to recommend, and building generational brand preference for years to come.
Site
Technology
Shopify Plus
Custom Middleware (OMS)
Avalara
Klaviyo
Loop Returns
Searchspring
SAP
Scribe
Yotpo
The BAUER MVP Loyalty Program’s versatility allows customers to earn loyalty Points in many different ways – from subscribing to marketing emails and SMS text messages to following social media channels and making purchases or uploading receipts. Yotpo’s Loyalty Platform tracks points and tier levels and integrates with the Bauer site, keeping Bauer customers up-to-date on their membership benefits and perks.
Bauer’s MVP Loyalty Program features a highly-custom experience called “Shots,” or chances to win giveaways and sweepstakes. The sweepstakes and giveaways are presented in a card-view layout, pulling in Shopify blog posts that provide specific details, terms and conditions, and timeframes.
Loyalty members are allotted a set of shots based on their tier to bid on their preferred giveaways, sweepstakes, or VIP experience. Shots can be added or removed until the end of a period. After each period, the Bauer team can export entries and select the winners each period, and shots are replenished for members.
Bauer’s MVP Loyalty Program shots are just one more way of Bauer forever changing the game of hockey.
