Tony’s Chocolonely’s journey to a scalable, unified platform on Shopify Plus.

Changing the cocoa industry, one bar at a time

Tony’s Chocolonely isn’t your average chocolate brand—they’re here to change the industry. From day one, they’ve been on a mission: make slave-free cocoa the norm. With their commitment to transparency and fair partnerships with cocoa farmers, Tony’s Chocolonely has redefined what it means to do business with purpose. With their sights set on becoming the leading platform for conscious, personalized chocolate gifting, they needed an ecommerce solution that could match their ambitions.

But their custom-built platform had reached its limit. High costs, complex maintenance, and performance issues were blocking innovation. To achieve their vision, Tony’s Chocolonely enlisted Ask Phill to lead a strategic migration to Shopify Plus, targeting scalability, efficiency, and optimized user experiences for B2C, B2B, and Business to Resellers (B2R) channels.

The platform limitations on the path to scalable growth

As Tony’s Chocolonely expanded, their existing ecommerce setup began to show its limitations. Originally built to support a multi-segment business, the custom platform was now holding them back due to high Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), complex maintenance requirements, and limited flexibility. To keep scaling with purpose, Tony’s Chocolonely needed a platform that could unify and streamline diverse sales channels—B2C, B2B, Wholesale, Marketplaces, and Social Selling—within a single, scalable environment.

• Scalability struggles: Tony’s Chocolonely required a flexible platform capable of handling increased traffic and supporting seamless growth across B2C, B2B, and Wholesale channels, all while reaching customers worldwide. Managing these segments on a fragmented system was becoming increasingly complex and costly.
  
  
• Integration complexities: Their custom setup couldn’t efficiently integrate essential tools like CRMs (Customer Relationship Management systems), ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning systems), and third-party apps without risking performance, making it difficult for them to optimize their customer experience.
  
  
• Channel-specific needs: Serving diverse sales channels within a single, cohesive experience was a challenge on the old platform. Each segment demanded unique features, pricing models, and tailored user flows, which proved difficult to manage without a unified solution.
  
  
• Outdated tech stack and personalization limitations: To meet Tony’s Chocolonely’s strategic focus on B2B and personalized gifting, they needed a smoother integration for their external Wrapper Creator—a feature often used by businesses for custom, branded gifts. The old platform lacked the adaptability to support this high-demand, customized ordering experience efficiently.

Building a powerhouse platform for sweet ambitions

To take Tony’s Chocolonely from a solid setup to a powerhouse for growth, Ask Phill created a Shopify Plus solution that could do it all: scale seamlessly, streamline operations, and keep the customer experience front and center. Here’s how we built a foundation ready to scale globally:

• Platform unification: One platform for all sales channels—B2C, B2B, and Wholesale—each with unique customer journeys and tailored features based on user login. This setup supports Tony’s Chocolonely’s ambitions to reach a global audience with 12 languages and multi-currency options (USD, GBP, EUR).
  
  
• Design solution:  Analogue took charge of the visual design (UI), adapting Tony’s Chocolonely’s bold brand colors—red, blue, and yellow—to create a fresh, cohesive look. Meanwhile, Ask Phill focused on the user experience (UX), crafting intuitive pathways for customers across all segments. Each product detail page uses color associations to align the wrapper with the background (e.g., orange for caramel sea salt), allowing customers to effortlessly connect flavors with colors.
  
  
• User journey and wireframes: Translating over 300 technical requirements into intuitive user flows required meticulous planning and precision. Our wireframes guided a seamless customer experience, making it easy for users to explore, personalize, and purchase, no matter their segment.
  
  
• Key integrations:
• Salesforce: Integrated for ChocoFanCare (their customer service department), enabling customer support to respond across channels effectively.
  
  
• Wolfpack OMS: We worked with Wolfpack to ensure smooth order management from checkout to delivery.
• Wrapper Creator: In partnership with Bitfactory, we seamlessly integrated the Wrapper Creator, a tool that allows customers to personalize the chocolate bar wrapper with custom colors, text, and designs. 
• Integration landscape: This project involved a rich and complex integration landscape, including connections via Boomi middleware to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central (the ERP). Our focus was on integrating Shopify with the Wolfpack ORP, which plays a critical role in syncing data across platforms to ensure smooth operations and a unified experience.

Custom features designed for a future-proof platform

Ask Phill took the platform to the next level by implementing purpose-built features that elevate the user experience and ensure the platform is ready for the future.

• Flexible payment terms: For high-value B2B clients, we developed a custom “Pay by Invoice” feature, empowering corporate partners to place bulk orders and pay later. This tailored solution allows Tony’s Chocolonely’s clients the flexibility they need for large-scale, gifting-focused purchases—perfectly suited to their unique business model.
  
  
• Ladder pricing for multiple segment: Ask Phill’s custom ladder pricing feature enables Tony’s Chocolonely to offer the same product at different price tiers across customer segments. Managed within the Chocoportal—a custom backend application built by Ask Phill—this functionality allows Tony’s Chocolonely to apply volume discounts and flexible pricing for each segment, providing B2B clients with competitive, tailored pricing based on customer type and order size.

• Advanced multi-market Klaviyo setup: We implemented Klaviyo across all regions, enabling Tony’s Chocolonely to send targeted, mission-driven messaging that resonates with each local audience. This setup supports multi-country and multi-language outreach, aligning communications with regional needs and preferences.
  
  
• Enhanced wrapper creator integration: Collaborating with Bitfactory, we seamlessly integrated the Wrapper Creator, a fan-favorite feature for personalization. Now, high-volume custom orders for corporate gifting flow smoothly, allowing chocofans and companies alike to create unique, branded chocolate wrappers tailored to their own messages and occasions.

Biting into measurable results

The transformation was more than a technical upgrade; it created measurable business impact for Tony’s Chocolonely, enhancing their reach, performance, and customer experience.

• 2.5x faster site speed: With improved performance, customers enjoy a quick, responsive experience, even during peak times.
  
  
• Global reach: The brand can now smoothly operate in 12 markets with multi-currency support, ready to expand further.
  
  
• Unified commerce experience: Tony’s Chocolonely serves all segments—B2C, B2B, and B2R—on one platform, making complex operations seamless and scalable.

Looking forward

With a purpose-driven platform on Shopify Plus, Tony’s Chocolonely now has the foundation to expand their mission—making slave-free chocolate the norm—on a global scale. From seamless personalization to unified channels, every feature is designed to bring their values to life in each customer interaction

Ready to scale your ecommerce platform? Contact Ask Phill today.