How HMD Global Scaled 10 Stores in 3 Months with BigCommerce

Background

HMD Global, the official licensee of the Nokia brand, was founded in 2016 with a clear mission: deliver innovative, durable, and sustainable mobile devices to consumers worldwide. After establishing a presence in 50 offices within its first year and scaling to 345,000 retail outlets across eight regions, HMD recognized the critical role of a robust ecommerce strategy in sustaining global competitiveness. Initially, the team built on a cloud-based solution, but soon encountered development delays, high costs, and limited control over site changes. To empower its growth vision, HMD sought a flexible, headless-friendly ecommerce platform with extensive API capabilities and lower TCO.

Challenges

HMD’s primary hurdle was slow development cycles driven by third-party dependencies and unpredictable costs. Each new feature required coordination with external vendors, delaying launches and inflating budgets. Moreover, the brand needed a way to support diverse localization requirements—unique checkouts, payment gateways, and tax rules for each market—without compromising the core branding and theme. Finally, HMD sought to expand into omnichannel marketplaces like Walmart and eBay, demanding a unified architecture that could handle feed management, inventory syncing, and order routing in real time.

Solutions

After evaluating multiple SaaS platforms, HMD selected BigCommerce in November 2020 for its API-first approach and extensive marketplace of integrations. Leveraging the Checkout SDK and open REST APIs, the team built tailored checkout experiences for each of its 10 stores, configuring local payment methods—from Google Pay and Klarna to region-specific gateways—within minutes. Native tax rules handled global VAT and US sales taxes, while an Avalara plugin automated compliance across states.

To amplify its omnichannel reach, HMD integrated Feedonomics for Walmart in the U.S. and plans to onboard eBay in the U.K., all orchestrated through a unified back office. The modular architecture allowed seamless connections with Contentful for CMS, SAP HANA for ERP, and Azure-based custom apps—ensuring consistent data flow from purchase to delivery.

Results

In just three months from signing the contract, HMD launched its first BigCommerce store in the U.K., breaking internal records for speed. Within eight months, the team rolled out 10 stores across 15 markets, unlocking spectacular growth in traffic and sales. The platform’s stability and reliability removed maintenance concerns, freeing resources to focus on marketing and product innovation. Lower development costs and faster time-to-market empowered HMD to iterate rapidly on promotional campaigns and trading-in experiences for sustainable device upgrades.

Looking Ahead

With BigCommerce as the central hub of its ecommerce ecosystem, HMD Global is well-positioned to continue expanding into new regions and channels. Future initiatives include deeper personalization using headless storefronts, advanced analytics for revenue optimization, and enhanced sustainability programs. As consumer preferences evolve, the brand’s agile architecture ensures it can adapt quickly and maintain its commitment to reliable, eco-friendly mobile devices.