SIMKHAI Boosts Customer Reach with Shopify Audiences

How SIMKHAI Scaled Customer Acquisition with Shopify Audiences

SIMKHAI, the luxury ready-to-wear label founded by Sasha Simkhai in 2010, faced a familiar challenge: rising digital ad costs and shifting privacy rules. Traditional targeting and CRM lookalikes were no longer delivering the same bang for their marketing bucks. They needed a fresh approach to reach new buyers.

That’s when they turned to Maison MRKT, a Shopify Plus partner that suggested Shopify Audiences, a tool for building custom high-intent lists. By tapping into Shopify’s network of purchase data, SIMKHAI could identify shoppers who matched the profiles of their best customers and serve ads across Facebook and Google.

Implementing a New Audience Strategy

The team created multiple audience segments focused on factors like average order value, frequency of purchase, and regional hotspots. They tested small batches of lookalikes on Facebook Ads Manager, monitoring cost per acquisition (CPA) and conversion rate. Within days, early tests showed a 54% drop in CPA compared to previous campaigns.

Next, they layered on advanced tracking with Shopify’s reporting. Since Apple’s iOS privacy changes had made attribution murky, Shopify Audiences’ built-in measurement let SIMKHAI see exactly which ads drove purchases and sign-ups, restoring transparency and confidence in spend decisions.

Results That Speak Volumes

By the end of a three-month pilot, SIMKHAI had achieved a 6.6× return on ad spend (ROAS). Conversion rates were up 84% over the prior period. And 89% of all net-new customers could be traced back to Shopify Audiences campaigns. Those numbers not only justified the investment but fuelled budget increases across digital channels.

The brand now uses audience lists as a core part of its customer acquisition toolkit. Instead of casting a wide net, they target shoppers who are statistically likely to buy, maximizing every ad dollar. The move has become a blueprint for other Shopify Plus merchants looking to crack the code on profitable growth.