Facebook iconGrowth with Headless Shopify: The Success Story of Kotn
Blogs/Shopify

Success Breakdown: How Kotn Achieved Unprecedented Growth with Headless Shopify

Oct 12, 20233 Min Read
by Murtuza Kutub
Success Breakdown: How Kotn Achieved Unprecedented Growth with Headless Shopify Hero

Kotn, a Canadian clothing brand, has carved a niche with sustainable practices. It was birthed in 2014 and is known for 100% Egyptian cotton apparel. However, Kotn's vision extends beyond fashion. Per their vision, every purchase contributes to a noble cause - building new schools in Egypt.

They made it high anyway with the help of headless Shopify Growth. But the journey to success wasn't a cakewalk. The brand faced numerous technical limitations that threatened to hinder its digital growth. It's a tale of transformation, of how the right technology can revolutionize a brand's journey. So, let's dig into the story of Kotn's growth with headless ecommerce Shopify platforms. 

Headless Shopify 

Long story short, Headless Shopify has emerged as a powerful tool, driving unprecedented growth for brands like Kotn.

But what exactly is it?

Headless Shopify is an eCommerce solution where the front end (what the customer sees) is separated from the back end (where the business logic and data retrieval happen). 

This separation offers a world of benefits, including enhanced flexibility and customization in the presentation layer. There are many headless commerce companies. For today, let's see how Kotn used it as their unfair advantage.

The Story of Kotn: From Start to Headless Shopify Growth

Kotn's journey began in 2014 when the founders started a mission to create high-quality t-shirts at a fair price. Their quest led them to Egypt, where they analyzed the supply chain and production process, laying the foundation for Kotn.

As soon as they started with ecommerce, their platform posed significant challenges. They grappled with the need for multiple custom apps for minor site customizations and still lacked control over the site experience. 

Shopify covers 80% of our needs, and I think that’s common across all merchants. It’s that next 20% where headless comes in and where we really spend our time. What we’re trying to do is let Shopify handle the stuff they do so well, and we can focus on what makes us unique. That’s where we’ve really gone with our thinking around being headless.


~ Ben, Kotn Co-Founder

Headless Shopify Growth

They needed a solution that offered Kotn the control they craved without the complexities of a traditional back-end system. As Kotn witnessed the choppy waters of ecommerce, they found their North Star - headless Shopify development. This groundbreaking approach to ecommerce allowed them to deeply personalize their storefront and more flexibility, ultimately improving the site experience. 

Partner with Us for Success

Experience seamless collaboration and exceptional results.

Headless Shopify Implementation

Stage 1: Decision and Planning

Kotn recognized the need for a more flexible and efficient ecommerce solution. After carefully understanding headless Shopify challenges and potential benefits (its promise of control, customization, and improved performance), they decided to transition. Shopify headless costs and other plans were also considered.

Stage 2: Consolidation Using Shopify's Storefront API

To achieve headless Shopify growth, Kotn utilized Shopify's Storefront API to merge their existing stores. Moreover, the integration of headless Shopify Next.Js and React technologies provided more functionality. This strategic consolidation simplified their operations and ensured a consistent shopping experience across their customer base.

Stage 3: Customization of the Platform

With the consolidated store in place, Kotn started extensive customization and leveraged headless Shopify benefits. They tailored the storefront to reflect their unique brand identity and meet their customer’s needs, creating a personalized and engaging shopping experience.

Stage 4: Performance Optimization

The headless Shopify growth of Kotn was possible after site performance optimization. They saw significant improvements in site speed and responsiveness, ensuring a smooth user experience during peak traffic.

Partner with Us for Success

Experience seamless collaboration and exceptional results.

Stage 5: Evaluation and Growth

Post-implementation, Kotn experienced a surge in their growth (Source: Shopify). The successful transition to headless Shopify and its unique brand proposition propelled them toward unprecedented success in the ecommerce space.

Benefits of Headless Shopify Growth for Kotn

  • Increased Control Over Site Experience: One of the most significant benefits Kotn reaped from headless Shopify growth was the increased control over the site experience. They could now tailor their online store to their unique brand identity and customer needs, offering a personalized shopping journey.
  • Improved Site Performance: The adoption of Shopify, headless Vue, and headless Shopify React and Next.js brought about a significant boost in Kotn's site speed and responsiveness. Even during peak traffic periods, the website maintained its performance, ensuring a smooth shopping experience for customers.
  • Cost Savings: Considering Headless Shopify prices also resulted in significant cost savings for Kotn. Consolidating their stores and eliminating the need for multiple custom apps contributed to these savings.
  • Future Expansion Opportunities: Headless Shopify's growth's scalability opened up exciting possibilities for Kotn. They are now poised to expand into new digital territories, including mobile apps, voice, AR, and VR, showcasing the versatility and scalability of the headless approach.

Conclusion

Kotn's journey to unprecedented growth, fueled by Headless Shopify, demonstrates the power of strategic ecommerce solutions.

This headless approach, offering unmatched scalability and customization, worked exceptionally for Kotn.

Intrigued? Eager to unlock similar growth for your business?

So, are you ready to step into the future and change your e-commerce journey with Headless Shopify like Kotn? Book your 1-hour FREE consultation with F22 Labs experts today, and let's help shape the future of e-commerce together.

Author-Murtuza Kutub
Murtuza Kutub

A product development and growth expert, helping founders and startups build and grow their products at lightning speed with a track record of success. Apart from work, I love to network & Travel.

Phone

Next for you

How Do I Add Product Recommendations to My Shopify Cart Drawer? Cover

Shopify

Dec 3, 20249 min read

How Do I Add Product Recommendations to My Shopify Cart Drawer?

Maximizing every opportunity to increase sales is crucial. One often overlooked yet powerful strategy is utilizing the cart page to showcase recommended products. This guide will walk you through the process of adding product recommendations to your Shopify cart page, potentially boosting your conversion rates and average order value. Customers who've added items to their cart are actively considering a purchase and they're often receptive to product suggestions aligned with their initial choic

4 Ways to Increase AOV of Your Shopify Store in 2025 Cover

Shopify

Nov 27, 20246 min read

4 Ways to Increase AOV of Your Shopify Store in 2025

Learning how to increase the average order value of a Shopify store is crucial for sustainable business growth. If your store has a decent amount of traffic and a conversion rate, yet you are still not satisfied with the sales and want the numbers to go up, focusing on Shopify's average order value can help bridge the gap between your current sales and the benchmark that you have set up for the sales target. What is Average Order Value and Why does it matter? Understanding the average order v

15 Top Shopify SEO Tools for Your Store Growth Cover

Shopify

Oct 28, 202411 min read

15 Top Shopify SEO Tools for Your Store Growth

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is key to boosting visibility and driving organic traffic. With Statista forecasting global e-commerce sales to reach US$4,117.00bn in 2024, the potential for online retail growth is immense. Harnessing this opportunity requires leveraging the most effective Shopify SEO tools. This guide delves into 15 premier Shopify SEO tools that can catalyze your store's growth and enhance its search engine performance. Whether you're hunting for the best SEO app for Shopify