It’s safe to say that headless Shopify stores are not just a trend, it’s a true technological revolution, worth all the hype.
With this technology, brands can create different forms in a way that suits their needs. It makes them break free from traditional online stores and deliver a seamless shopping experience, no matter the sales channel. It’s a particularly attractive choice for Shopify merchants looking to expand their reach to multiple touchpoints – with the power and scalability to match.
Curious enough about how it works? Let’s get inspired and see how do brands integrate a headless approach into their stores. After all – e-commerce sector real-life examples provide the best insights!
Benefits of Using Shopify Headless Architecture for E-commerce
Do you find a misspelling or a small mistake on your web? In the past, the path was quite troublesome – you had to inform your developer or webmaster and provide precise instructions on where and how to make improvements. But what if you could do it yourself?
Due to this small change, many users have shifted towards Shopify headless API. Lower dependence on developers – allowing them to work on more demanding projects while e-commerce merchants can handle minor tweaking tasks themselves.
In case you’re still on the fence about whether it’s the solution for your online store, this section should clear up any doubts you may have ⬇️
Ultimate creative freedom
Headless commerce gives you the power to unleash your creativity without limitations. You can design custom storefronts exactly the way you want – without being tied down by the restrictions of a traditional monolithic e-commerce platform.
Lightning-fast speed
With the headless platform, your website can become a site speed demon. By separating the front end from the back end, you optimize site performance further, resulting in super-fast page loads.
Seamless everywhere
You’ll be able to reach your customers wherever they are, giving them a consistent and delightful customer experience. It’s a headless architecture unlike any other, which allows you to deliver content across multiple channels like, e.g., your fashion e-commerce websites, mobile apps, voice assistants, and even smart devices.
Plug-and-play integrations
No more headaches when it comes to integrating different tools and services with your tech stack. Headless commerce Shopify makes connecting with third-party applications and services a breeze. With smooth integration capabilities, you can easily add new features, payment gateways, or even your favorite marketing tools to supercharge your business.
Empowerment for non-techies
As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to be a developer to handle minor adjustments and updates yourself on headless stores. Whether it’s changing a button color or updating custom product pages in your Shopify beauty stores, you’ll have the power to make those changes directly, saving you time and allowing developers to concentrate on more challenging work.
Isn’t it exciting to see it in action? Connect with our highly qualified Shopify Plus WeCanFly team to learn how to bring these benefits to your Shopify business.
Top 10 Best Examples of Shopify Headless Commerce Architecture
There are many examples of headless stores that show the efficiency of Shopify storefront APIs. We’ve got the proof. Check out these use cases that demonstrate the impact of headless technology on the e-commerce industry. Here are the best ones going headless!
1. Allbirds
source: allbirds
With their reputation for the comfiest shoes around, Allbirds quickly became a big deal in the retail world and were valued at an impressive billion dollars just two years after they started. And guess what? They’ve been using the Shopify platform to power their online store since day one.
When Allbirds’ website traffic spiked, they had to find a way to personalize user experience without slowing down the site. So, the team decided to try out a headless architecture to keep things flexible and fast. This allowed them to provide a consistent customer experience for everyone who shops with them without having to deal with complicated (and costly) back-end systems.
💡 Allbrids went for the react-based Hydrogen Shopify framework that allows for creating custom storefronts and continues to use the default Shopify powerful stack to build headless storefronts.
2. Kotn
Kotn didn’t welcome headless architecture with open arms. This sustainable lifestyle brand with clothing and home decor was initially hesitant to move its sails. However, when they realized the potential savings and scale that a headless approach could provide them with, the founders decided to give it a try.
They don’t regret anything. Until Kotn’s e-commerce site went headless, Allbirds had to install multiple custom apps for even the smallest site customizations. But with a headless platform, they now have complete control and can easily customize every aspect of the site experience.
“There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon in the next five years – mobile apps, voice, AR, VR – and I want to be ready so we can really take advantage.” – Benjamin Sehl, Kotn Co-Founder
source: Kotn
3. Victoria Beckham Beauty
The philosophy behind Victoria Beckham Beauty is that “beauty should complement and empower the dynamic life you lead.” It’s a statement that can be easily applied to the world of e-commerce as well. Brands need to keep up with the dynamic changes that are taking place in technology.
Instead of redesigning a complex e-commerce system, Victoria Beckham Beauty relies on tried and tested Shopify’s capabilities. Headless architecture and custom apps allow them to customize every aspect of the site experience, from product selection to ordering and payment. It lets customers enjoy a seamless shopping experience that is tailored specifically to their needs.
💡 The VB Beauty store is powered with a Contentful headless content management system. This CMS platform gives the team a customizable content model, along with features like production content APIs.
source: Victoria Beckham Beauty
4. Bols
Bols, found in the best bars (even those in the sky) since 1575, has taken a bold new step. They’ve recently introduced a new line of products for individual consumers and wanted to expand their reach internationally by selling directly. They needed a solution for that.
Using a headless Shopify Plus setup, they noted a 50% increase in the site speed, along with a greater level of design and layout flexibility. This solution came with intuitive dashboards that made managing multiple storefronts and launching new products a breeze. Therefore, it helped them adapt to the core changes happening then in Bols.
source: Bols
5. Inkbox
Inkbox – this Canadian temporary tattoo company needed a solution to meet the growing demand for their products. As they expanded and wanted to make their online store platform available for all, they felt the need to switch to something more flexible.
They decided to migrate to Shopify. By using a headless commerce platform, Inkbox was able to process hundreds of customer orders at once and increase the conversion rate of their custom storefront. As a result, they became one of the world’s fastest-growing tattoo brands.
💡 The Inkbox store combines a custom front-end with Shopify’s backend functionality.
source: Inkbox
6. Recess
Recess is a wellness company that creates and sells hemp-infused sparkling water. Being a modern and innovative brand, they had to prepare for the expanse. Shopify Plus gives them the flexibility they need.
Recess is based on the subscription model allowing customers to order and receive drinks on a regular basis. By using the headless Shopify, Recess is able to distribute content around the web and customize its storefronts seamlessly.
💡 Recess relies on Shopify backend powered with Vue frontend framework and Sanity.io CMS to deliver a seamless and powerful shopping experience.
source: Recess
7. Paul Valentine
Having divided its content into 12 different online stores, Paul Valentine, an online waterproof jewelry store, encountered limitations. They had to simplify their approach yet retain flexibility and great user experience. The best option was clear. They adopted a headless model to achieve their goals.
They doubled the number of markets. Paul Valentine now boasts a future-proof headless architecture that covers over 24 regional storefronts. What’s impressive is that this is headless commerce powered by just two Shopify stores and Contentful CMS backend functions.
💡 Paul Valentine uses Shopify’s Storefront API and Nuxt/Vue.js to handle and unify content across multiple regions.
source: Paul Valentine
8. Blume
Blume keeps improving its store full of vegan body care products by constantly upgrading the storefront design process with new, unique features. As a result, it became more challenging to maintain the site performance at the highest level. Headless commerce was the perfect answer for them.
To maximize their store’s efficiency, Blume implemented Shopify’s Storefront API. This allows them to have a fast-loading and SEO-friendly website across multiple markets.
💡 Blume uses Shopify-optimized e-commerce components, empowered with React frontend framework.
source: Blume
9. Rothy’s
The washable shoes and bags brand – Rothy’s – is the one that also leaves monolithic stores behind. International expansion presents a number of challenges, as the shop must introduce new storefronts in different languages and at different prices.
The usage of headless architecture allows the brand to expand its reach seamlessly without sacrificing user experience. The best achievement? They were able to reuse their backend and the rest of their technical stack while setting up separate frontends for each region.
source: Rothy’s
10. Verishop
Being a multi-brand retailer offering such an extensive range of products demands a highly efficient e-commerce platform. Verishop commitment to providing a seamless shopping experience led them to implement a headless e-commerce approach.
By going headless, Verishop could optimize the e-commerce site speed by only sending the necessary data to the front, eliminating the need to load unnecessary components and reducing overall latency. The result – a more responsive website, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
source: Verishop
Empower Your E-Commerce with the Flexibility of Shopify’s Headless Architecture
There are many myths that can hold you back from a headless e-commerce solution.
❌ That you need to put a lot of risk.
❌ That it’s expensive to implement.
❌ That it’s insecure.
❌ That it’s not scalable.
There is no truth in any of them. Headless Shopify development offers the perfect blend of flexibility and security, allowing you to both – customize your store user experience while also protecting your customers’ data. It’s the customizable enterprise solution that will grow with your business.
Forget about scaling problems, database issues, and complex backends. Focus on what you do best and leave our Shopify Plus agency the rest. By providing comprehensive advantages of a headless Shopify platform, the WeCanFly team helps your business scale and achieve your goals. Let’s create an unparalleled digital storefront together!
Your Store as a Tailor-Made Shopify Headless Example
How about including your store in this list of the best headless shops examples? With the power of well-written Shopify storefront APIs, you can prepare the best foundations to do that.
Split front-end and back-end architecture and open up a world of possibilities that a headless platform can give you and your shoppers.
With WeCanFly, your store will be able to take advantage of the full set of headless composable infrastructure, allowing you to focus on customer engagement and sales. Contact us today to learn how we can help you make a headless store.
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