Howards Storage World’s Ecommerce Reinvention with BigCommerce

Transforming Storage Retail with BigCommerce

Howards Storage World traced its roots to a modest shop in Northbridge, Sydney in the early 1970s. Over time, this family-run business grew to more than 30 locations, yet its ecommerce operations stayed stuck behind the scenes in a backroom setup.

A Legacy Held Back

By the time management looked at digital, the company ran on a bespoke platform with rigid search, manual data syncing, and no cloud hosting. The storefront lacked intuitive navigation, SEO optimization and real-time ERP integration, which limited growth and frustrated customers.

Selecting the Right Platform and Partner

After several internal redevelopment attempts, Howards Storage World decided to partner with Amblique and BigCommerce. The goal was clear: replace antiquated systems with a scalable, cloud-based storefront and unify customer, order and product data.

Rapid Implementation and Design

In under six months, the Amblique team led project management, architecture design and data migration. They delivered a fresh storefront with a consolidated wishlist, a mega-menu navigation, and tailored loyalty and rewards functionality to enhance member exclusivity.

App Ecosystem Fuels Efficiency

BigCommerce’s open marketplace offered critical extensions: ShipperHQ for dynamic freight quotes, Starshipit for carrier integration, Jasper PIM to manage thousands of SKUs, and Shogun Page Builder to craft custom content. These tools slashed manual effort.

Measurable Success

Post-launch analytics revealed a 149% revenue surge, a 38% improvement in conversion rate, and a 44% jump in site users. Live chat via Re:amaze enhanced support, while Printout Designer streamlined warehouse fulfillment with on-demand pick slips.

Enhanced Marketing and Loyalty

Integrated email campaigns and social channels like Facebook and Instagram connected with BigCommerce, boosting loyalty program sign-ups. The open platform let them tailor electronic direct mail to hundreds of thousands of members.

Streamlined Operations

With hosting, security and maintenance managed by BigCommerce, internal teams could focus on innovation rather than upkeep. Automated inventory updates improved transparency and reduced manual reconciliation across ERP and POS.

Empowering the Team

Training through BigCommerce University and hands-on sessions with Amblique empowered in-house staff. The new interface allowed non-technical users to update content, launch promotions, and manage product information without writing code.

Customer Stories

Customers now enjoy enhanced search by size, type and dimension, while aspirational lifestyle content inspires creative home organization. Positive feedback surged as users praised site performance improvements and simplified checkout flow.

Looking Ahead

Next steps include deploying an ERP connector, enabling click-and-collect, and unlocking multi-currency support for international customers. Howards Storage World remains dedicated to making organization simple and giving customers more time for a better life.