PAUW

Blending heritage with avant-garde excellence 

Born in the former Amsterdam, when fashion mirrored local scenes of the 30s and 40s, PAUW set its sights on something new. It would go on to inspire post-war style in the Netherlands and ignite a new craze for avant-garde houses like Comme des Garçons, Kenzo, and Dries van Noten. Under the Pauw-Thiry name, the visionary couple established PAUW as Amsterdam’s first premier multi-brand destination, becoming synonymous with luxury and cutting-edge labels, in a world rebuilding. 

Today, with 26 stores across the Netherlands, PAUW continues to blend its rich heritage with an eye for future styles, offering a curated selection of high-end and private label brands for both men and women.

Harnessing Shopify Plus

In 2024, PAUW sharpened its focus on digital transformation, to not only modernise online presence but also unify its in-store and online customer experiences. Their previous platform, Magento, had become a costly and high-maintenance strategy that struggled to keep pace with the brand’s UX requirements and overall flexibility. PAUW sought a Shopify Plus solution that would:

• Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with a more efficient platform

• Improve adaptability and speed of innovation

• Offer a mobile-first, high-end user experience that reflects the luxury of the PAUW brand

• Integrate seamlessly with their Product Information Management (PIM) and ERP systems

• Take steps toward unifying their customer data and commerce, with plans to integrate Shopify POS

• Email-marketing tool on par with Shopify to promote consistent journeys

Key solutions and features 

Designing elegance with Numbered

In close partnership with the Numbered agency, Ask Phill brought PAUW’s refreshed brand style to Shopify Plus. We meticulously translated the designs into a seamless, mobile-first experience that reflects PAUW’s refined luxury aesthetic. Every design detail was crafted to provide an immersive and intuitive experience that resonates with both existing and new customers. 

User experience enhancements
We developed several advanced UX features that elevate PAUW’s digital storefront:

• Smooth micro-animations: From navigation to accordions, these animations add a subtle elegance to the user experience, enhancing engagement and reducing bounce rates.

• Product detail page (PDP) sticky feature: On desktop, product information gradually becomes sticky as users scroll through the image gallery, making it easier to focus on product details without losing context.

• Product grid flexibility: We implemented three unique product grid layouts, allowing PAUW to present their collection with flexibility and sophistication.

• Intuitive size guide: A minimalist, visual size chart pops up on product pages, providing quick access to sizing information and a customer service link, making it intuitive and user-friendly for customers to find their perfect fit.

The results: Seamless integration for unified commerce

Held back by slow tech, we needed to streamline PAUW’s operations and enable seamless integration between their PIM and ERP systems. When these data silos communicate right, manual work almost disappears - product info, stock levels, and order statuses sync automatically, ensuring customers always receive an up-to-date, frictionless shopping experience. The Shopify Plus PIM-ERP integration powered this transformation, allowing PAUW to manage inventory more efficiently and synchronise data across all touchpoints in real time. This integration laid the foundation for a unified commerce experience, both online and in-store, as PAUW transitions to Shopify POS and a fully connected customer journey.

PAUW’s transformation with Shopify Plus and our tailored approach delivered concrete improvements across several metrics:

• Streamlined operations and reduced costs: By moving from Magento to Shopify Plus, PAUW reduced maintenance costs and enhanced platform efficiency, allowing them to allocate resources towards continued innovation.

• Best-in-class integrations, Odoo, Akeneo & Klaviyo: The triple threat - Odoo became PAUW’s operational backbone, automating inventory management, Akeneo ensured accurate product data, and Klaviyo will continue to enhance customer engagement with smarter email marketing.

• Enhanced site speed: Significant improvements in load times contribute to a smoother, more enjoyable user experience.

• Dual language support: With support for two languages, PAUW’s online presence caters to a broader audience, reflecting their vision for growth and accessibility.