How Fairfax & Favor Saved £1M & Scaled US Sales with Shopify

Background

Fairfax & Favor began in 2012 as a small British footwear and accessories label focused on equestrian style. Its signature Regina boot and modern outerwear won fans among town and country shoppers alike. By hosting pop-up events at UK horse shows and building a tight-knit community, the brand saw steady growth before the pandemic transformed retail overnight.

The Challenge

Once online sales surged, Fairfax & Favor spotted strong demand from US shoppers. But managing multiple storefronts, manual currency adjustments and mounting complexity around duties, taxes and point-of-nexus obligations put strain on the three-person ecommerce team. Price books struggled to keep pace with exchange fluctuations, and fulfilling orders in under three days felt out of reach.

The Solution

When Shopify released Markets, Fairfax & Favor adopted it immediately. By setting up a US subfolder with localized checkout, the team launched in days rather than months.Checkout Blockslet non-developers swap banners and banners with regional messaging.Multi-Currency Payoutslocked in rates, held reserves for suppliers, and eliminated weekly conversions. Finally,Shopify Taxautomated duties and county-level taxes—no extra headcount needed.

Results

• £50,000 saved each year on currency conversions.
• £1,000,000 saved annually in labor by managing one store across regions.
• US sales jumped from 3% to 10% of international revenue in two years.
• New US storefront set up in a day with zero SEO impact.

Key Learnings

Consolidating multiple geographies under Shopify Markets can slash overhead, speed launches, and protect margins. Automating currency, tax and duties helps small teams scale globally without extra hires.