Our task was a clear one: to build a website fitting for one of the most respected retail names in horse riding equipment and clothing. Shires Equestrian encountered challenges with their existing website structure, with customers frequently experiencing issues processing orders at checkout.

To improve their B2C performance, it was evident that it was time for a change. And with most sales moving through the B2B pipeline, they also wanted to tap into growing the DTC offerings, so a migration to Shopify made perfect sense.

First established in 1968 by founder Malcolm Ainge, Shires Equestrian rose from humble beginnings to firmly establish itself as one of Great Britain’s premier equestrian brands - holding a prestigious Royal Warrant under HM Queen Elizabeth - they cater for customers from all walks of life, be it beginners, leisure riders, athletes and royalty. From competition clothing and riding boots to stirrups and saddlecloths - Shires provides nothing but the best for those who love riding off into the sunset.

Shires Equestrian and Kubix came together to create a detail-oriented plan for each key milestone of the project. As their contract with Magento was coming to an end, we developed a clear timeframe for the new website’s launch.

We stood out as an agency in Shires Equestrian’s search for a partner on this project due to our expertise in Shopify and the ability to expertly integrate other technologies into the platform, such as Microsoft Dynamics. Our previous experience with the ERP platform meant we were able to advise both on a seamless Shopify integration to get them up and running as well as help to break down opportunities to keep growing on the new tool into the future.

One key part of the project was handling their migration from Magento. Tackling the data migration with our usual high levels of attention to detail, we helped to migrate the product data over to Shopify and then sync with Microsoft Dynamics to control stock levels, products and customer information to Shopify. With four websites running across their UK and US markets, all four of these domains needed to integrate cleanly through their ERP - giving a clear, centralised view of their eCommerce operations.

In order to unlock more international expansion - Shires Equestrian opted for a standalone US storefront to give full flexibility around currencies, bank accounts, and shipping rates while ensuring that its inventory levels remain synced with its UK counterpart and online workflows were kept streamlined. Building a B2B dedicated storefront was important as the site is linked to a native Microsoft Dynamics connector, which feeds directly into the company catalogues.

When it came to the design of the new website, we took inspiration from a few places - including cosmetics, jewellery and clothing websites, to create a full mood board of designs truly reflecting the Shires Equestrian brand. A new Shires Equestrian logo was born out of these conversations and now takes pride of place at the top of the new website.

We wanted to create a website that fits aesthetically with the brand guidelines, was user-friendly, and held striking imagery and animations, but also had that special Kubix touch, such as ensuring that the website is robust, delivers high-performance, and interacts with the inner workings of Shopify like a dream!

Throughout the project, we forged a strong relationship with the team at Shires Equestrian, and our partnership is far from over. With the support of our marketing team, we’ll continue to help promote their newly refreshed online presence whilst continuing to provide training and guidance as we work with the Shires team to grow their business across the globe .

Thanks to Kubix, this new website is finally ready to take the reins.