Beauty brand Shopify Plus launch case study

Client context

A prestige skincare brand had outgrown their original ecommerce platform. The brand had built a loyal customer base through retail partnerships and was investing in direct-to-consumer as a strategic channel. They needed a platform that could support the sophisticated customer experience their brand positioning demanded.

The brand's product range included skincare across multiple categories, with shade-matched products like tinted moisturizers and concealers that historically had high return rates from online purchases. Repeat purchase was central to their business model, but they lacked subscription functionality on their current platform.

They had invested in a loyalty program running on a third-party platform that needed to integrate seamlessly with the new store.

The challenge

The launch required multiple capabilities working together:

• Build a premium brand experience that matched their retail presence
• Implement subscription functionality to increase customer lifetime value
• Reduce shade-related returns through guided product selection
• Integrate their existing loyalty program without disrupting member experience
• Support sampling programs to drive trial and conversion
• Connect with fulfillment and marketing systems

The brand wanted to launch before a major product release, giving approximately 10 weeks for the project.

What Starcodia delivered

Starcodia delivered a Shopify Plus implementation designed around the brand's specific requirements.

Premium brand experience. A custom Shopify Plus theme was developed that reflected the brand's aesthetic: clean, editorial, with rich product imagery and ingredient storytelling. Product pages included detailed ingredient information, usage instructions and routine building guidance.

Subscription program. Subscription functionality was implemented using Recharge, with subscribe-and-save options on replenishable products. The customer portal allowed subscribers to skip, swap products, change frequency and manage their subscription without contacting support. Subscription-specific emails were configured in Klaviyo.

Shade finder quiz. A shade-matching quiz was built to guide customers through tinted product selection. The quiz collected skin tone, undertone and coverage preferences, then recommended the appropriate shade. This addressed the high return rate on shade-matched products from their retail partners.

Loyalty integration. The brand's existing loyalty program was integrated with Shopify, allowing points to be earned on purchases and redeemed at checkout. Member status and points balance displayed in the customer account. The integration was designed to maintain continuity for existing loyalty members.

Sampling at checkout. A sample selection feature was added to checkout, allowing customers to choose samples based on their preferences. This supported trial of new products and categories.

Integrations. The store was connected to their 3PL for fulfillment, Klaviyo for email marketing and lifecycle automation, and their customer data platform for unified customer profiles.

Results

The launch delivered strong performance and laid the foundation for DTC growth:

• 35% higher conversion rate. Compared to their previous platform, conversion improved significantly due to better performance, improved UX and the shade finder tool.
• 25% of revenue from subscriptions. Within three months, subscription revenue represented a quarter of total DTC revenue, with strong retention metrics.
• 40% reduction in shade-related returns. The shade finder quiz reduced return rates on tinted products by guiding customers to the right match.
• Seamless loyalty transition. Existing loyalty members continued earning and redeeming points without disruption, maintaining program engagement.
• Marketing team autonomy. Content and merchandising updates now happen without developer involvement, supporting campaign velocity.

Services and capabilities demonstrated

• Shopify Plus implementation
• Subscriptions and membership
• Beauty industry expertise
• CRM and loyalty integration
• Quiz and product recommendation development

Discuss a similar project

If you are a beauty brand launching on Shopify or looking to add subscriptions and personalization to your existing store, Starcodia can share more details and discuss your requirements.