ARMEDANGELS is a sustainable fashion brand based in Cologne, Germany, built on responsible production, high-quality materials with a low environmental impact, and clothing that lasts. The brand sells direct to consumers across Europe, and its digital experience has to match that promise: fast, clear, and dependable for every shopper.
After five years on Shopware, the team wanted a stack that spent more time on product and less on firefighting. They chose Shopify and implementation partner Hyghstreet to deliver a leaner frontend and backend, a high-converting checkout shoppers already recognise, and room to grow.
In the first three months after go-live, ARMEDANGELS has:
- Lifted mobile conversion rate by 18% and doubled checkout conversion rate
- Cut average load time on key touchpoints by 23%, with improved PageSpeed and Lighthouse scores
- Raised Net Promoter Score by 5 percentage points, while resolving issues customers had flagged before the relaunch
The challenge
ARMEDANGELS had run Shopware since 2020, but gaps in business-critical processes, including returns and gift vouchers, meant heavy custom work, and every platform update carried risk and cost. Over time, roughly 80% of the team's capacity went to bug fixes, leaving little room for meaningful product work. Slow load times on the homepage made things worse, hurting both Google Lighthouse scores (a measure of site speed and performance) and the customer experience. Over five years, the platform's pace of improvement, market adoption, and ecosystem growth fell short of what the business needed.
What ARMEDANGELS wanted instead was a stack built for where ecommerce is headed: less bespoke code, more proven patterns, and a standard checkout shoppers already know. They also wanted a delivery partner who would scope honestly, discuss risk transparently, and collaborate rather than just hand things off.
The solution
ARMEDANGELS selected Hyghstreet as its implementation partner and built the new site on Shopify. The choice came down to development speed, a broad ecosystem, and a standardised checkout that delivers strong conversion performance out of the box.
The goal was a lean SaaS stack that would flip the old ratio: roughly 80% of capacity on new value, up to 20% on maintenance. Accessibility and a mobile-first experience were non-negotiable from the start. Documented, developer-friendly APIs meant third-party tools and internal systems could connect without one-off custom code.
The work ran intensively for about seven months. ARMEDANGELS went live with no downtime, completing the cutover overnight. Pre-launch testing kept customer-visible bugs low, so shoppers felt a smooth transition. Despite the pace, the team stayed close to its planned timeline, kept morale high, and went live as one team.
The results
The new Shopify site launched with big bets already live: a new checkout, new product and collection page structures, improved accessibility, and clearer navigation. The experience felt calmer, faster, and easier to use. The checkout runs more reliably than on Shopware, and ARMEDANGELS now uses video more boldly without sacrificing performance.
In the first three months after go-live, mobile conversion rate rose by 18% and checkout conversion rate doubled. October is typically a strong month for the brand, but the three-month picture confirms the uplifts are real and sustained.
PageSpeed and Lighthouse scores improved materially versus the old setup, and average load time on key journeys fell by 23%. SEO visibility in Germany stayed on track through launch and steadied after go-live, in line with targets for the core market. Net Promoter Score rose by 5 percentage points as the team resolved issues customers had raised before the relaunch.
Inside the business, new features reach production faster, the team coordinates less with external developers, and day-to-day content work requires less manual effort. Teams run multi-country storefronts with fewer errors and more independence in the CMS.
ARMEDANGELS describes the replatforming as a major step forward: "We wanted a system that helps growth instead of capping it. This replatforming gives us a solid base to keep improving."
