Migrating a DTC Powerhouse to Shopify | Stadium Goods

The Challenge of Scaling a Marketplace for Rare Footwear

Stadium Goods has built its reputation as a premier destination for highly sought-after sneakers and streetwear, with a unique two-way marketplace model that tracks serialized inventory and assigns unique prices to individual items. As a large direct-to-consumer and multi-channel powerhouse, Stadium Goods had outgrown its custom-built platform, struggling with slow site speed, frequent technical challenges, and an overwhelming cost of maintenance. They needed a solution that could scale with their vision and streamline their digital operations without sacrificing the level of service and uniqueness their customers expected.

VAAN has been an incredibly nimble, collaborative, and impactful partner, helping us migrate from a custom eCommerce platform to Shopify at lightning speed. We set a very aggressive timeline (in spite of our size and complexity), and we hit it, landing one of the smoothest platform migrations I’ve seen, in time for holiday peak. A few weeks post-transition, we’re already seeing a double-digit improvement in conversion rate, and material reduction in our cost of ownership. VAAN was instrumental in this achievement.

Making the Switch to Shopify Plus

Recognizing the limits of their existing setup, Stadium Goods made the strategic decision to replatform to Shopify Plus. Shopify Plus offered the ideal infrastructure Stadium Goods needed to support a high-volume, data-heavy operation, while dramatically reducing their total cost of ownership (TCO). By making this change, they aimed to simplify management, improve site reliability, and provide a platform that could adapt to rapid shifts in the market.

With Shopify Plus, Stadium Goods gained access to a robust ecosystem designed to support large-scale retail operations, as well as the ability to delegate day-to-day content management and theme updates to their internal team. This shift allowed their development resources to focus on growth and innovation rather than maintenance—a critical pivot for a fast-growing brand in a competitive market.

The Stadium Goods team, like many merchants, often discussed migrating to Shopify due to roadblocks with their current platform while having unique consigner requirements. By working in lockstep with Vann & Stadium Goods, we were able to propose a solution that not only met their needs but also positions them well for future growth.

VAAN’s Role: Building a Platform for the Future

Stadium Goods partnered with VAAN to ensure a smooth transition from a custom setup to Shopify Plus. With timeline urgency to be live prior to the peak holiday season VAAN completed a “lift and shift” solution tailored to Stadium Goods’ unique needs, where flexibility and scalability were paramount.

VAAN completed the intricate data migration, transferring Stadium Goods’ extensive catalog, customer data, and inventory records to the new platform. This was essential for maintaining Stadium Goods’ marketplace structure, where serialized inventory tracking is crucial. By leveraging Shopify's core features, we transformed Stadium Goods' digital infrastructure to improve performance and user experience.

Brand Conversion Design in Action

Throughout the project, VAAN applied its Brand Conversion Design philosophy, which centers on designing user experiences that don’t just look good but drive conversions. For Stadium Goods, this meant optimizing every part of the customer journey, from faster page load times to an intuitive checkout experience. We also supported their backend systems integration, providing guidance on optimizing product structure, data migration paths, and aligning their PIM and OMS workflows.

Andres, the lead designer on the VAAN project team, utilized Figma’s variables to streamline design files for development, ensuring that the final implementation matched Stadium Goods’ vision without compromising performance.

Enhancing Functionality with Shopify Apps

To extend the capabilities of Shopify Plus, VAAN integrated essential applications tailored to Stadium Goods' business model. Tapcart enabled a mobile app experience that kept pace with the demands of mobile-first shoppers, while Braze’s email marketing features enhanced Stadium Goods' ability to communicate with customers in a personalized and effective way. These additions were crucial in supporting Stadium Goods' omnichannel approach and ensuring a cohesive brand experience across all touchpoints.

Impact: 80% Increase in Conversion Rate and Reduced Costs

The results of this transformation have been remarkable. The Stadium Goods site has seen an 80% increase in conversion rate after the migration, underscoring the effectiveness of a platform optimized for performance and user experience. With Shopify Plus’ reliable infrastructure and the streamlined theme VAAN developed, Stadium Goods also realized significant savings in TCO.

Conclusion: Replatforming for Long-Term Growth and Agility

Stadium Goods’ journey to Shopify Plus highlights the impact of a well-executed platform migration. With VAAN’s expertise, they’ve not only solved the issues of speed, flexibility, and cost but have positioned themselves for scalable, sustainable growth in the DTC market. This transition has given Stadium Goods a powerful, adaptable digital presence that resonates with their brand and supports their future ambitions. Through a strategic partnership with VAAN and the power of Shopify Plus, Stadium Goods now stands equipped to lead and grow in an ever-evolving market.