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In the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce, creating a personalised and immersive online experience that mirrors the intimacy of in-store shopping is a formidable challenge, especially for luxury brands. Dsquared2, a Milan-based luxury fashion house founded by Canadian identical twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten, embarked on this journey with a global digital commerce solutions expert Astound Commerce, aiming to redefine its digital presence and secure a distinct identity in the competitive online space.
From digital strategy to a splendid redesign to a Salesforce Commerce Cloud storefront replatform, we collaborated on every aspect of Dsquared2’s digital transformation to bring this leading brand to vivid life online. Needless to say, we are thrilled to have our incredible work on the new Dsquared2 flagship storefront recognised as a UK Dev Awards Finalist Website in the Retail/ eCommerce category; it stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts and technical expertise that brought this vision to fruition.
“With time to launch being the highest priority, we opted for a streamlined design phase leveraging our expertly tuned Launch 360 storefront. Our focus was to harmonise Dsquared2’s unique brand aesthetic with intuitive functionality and user experience best practices, ensuring an immersive journey for every visitor,” commented Logs Matthews, Astound’s Group Creative Director who led the design team for the Dsquared2 project.
So what’s the success story behind Dsquared2’s digital transformation? Let’s break it down.
Challenges: Site Migration in a Time Crunch
Dsquared2 faced a dual challenge: migrating to its exclusive Commerce Cloud platform while simultaneously creating a globally localised and engaging digital experience for its customers. The brand sought to enhance web performance, streamline checkout processes, and collaborate with ESW for fulfilment solutions, all within an ambitious 16-week timeline from discovery to launch. Consequently, our team prioritised speed, focusing on delivering the site within the tight timeline and optimising the user experience for maximum impact.
Strategic Innovation: Astound’s Accelerated Approach to Excellence
Astound Commerce, chosen as the ideal partner, employed its proprietary accelerator, Launch360: Storefront, to streamline the process and reduce costs. The legacy Commerce Cloud implementation was upgraded to a modern reference architecture, ensuring a fast and efficient transition. Adopting an accelerated Agile approach, the development phase occurred in sprints, prioritising key functionalities based on Dsquared2’s specific goals.
Execution: Crafting a Localised Global Experience
To bring Dsquared2’s vision to life, Astound implemented various best-in-class functionalities, including ESW, Google Analytics, CommandersAct, LiveChat, Google Store Locator, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, OneTrust, as well as ERP and PIM systems. Leveraging Launch360’s tooling and methodologies, the team designed a plan specific to Dsquared2’s needs, providing a unique online storefront. The collaboration with ESW for a new checkout and fulfilment solution further enhanced the post-purchase experience.
Exceptional Results: Elevating Sales and Customer Loyalty
The results speak volumes: Dsquared2’s online storefront is not just a website; it’s a sales-driving powerhouse. Launched in April 2023, the new storefront achieved remarkable success in less than five months from discovery to go-live. With an impressive page load time, 2.5 seconds faster than its predecessor, the brand has redefined online luxury shopping, creating an immersive environment that prioritises a seamless global shopping experience and drives both sales and customer loyalty to unprecedented heights.
Raffaele Nardo, Chief Digital Officer of Dsquared2, expressed delight, stating,“Astound had both the technical knowledge and collaborative spirit needed to deliver this project within an ambitious timeframe. We’re delighted that our customers can enjoy an immersive online shopping journey, no matter where in the world they are shopping from.”
Want to learn more? Check out our full case study here.
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About Astound Commerce
At Astound Commerce we help iconic and innovative brands grow revenue by enhancing their online relationships with consumers. As a world-class provider of award-winning digital commerce solutions, we employ over 1,000 talented doers and makers across four continents. Astound is responsible for more than 3,000 successful digital commerce projects and 400 end-to-end website launches—sites which last year generated nearly US$10 billion in revenue.
