Rohan Achieves 1,218% Conversion Surge with BigCommerce APIs

Introduction

Rohan is a 50-year-old British outdoor apparel brand known for its technical fabrics and functional design. Originally, the team managed every aspect of their online store in-house on antiquated servers and databases. As customer expectations evolved, the site’s backend performance lagged, product launches triggered cache errors, and development cycles stretched into months. The aging platform was no longer aligned with the brand’s commitment to reliability and agility.

Challenges

The in-house architecture made even minor updates a major undertaking. New product drops stalled under extensive testing, server caches refused to clear smoothly, and recruiting specialized developers for bespoke solutions became a bottleneck. The ecommerce team was buried in routine maintenance, leaving no time for conversion optimization or user experience enhancements. Recognizing that online shoppers form opinions in milliseconds, Rohan needed to modernize quickly without alienating its loyal audience.

Solution

After evaluating several SaaS platforms, Rohan selected BigCommerce for its headless flexibility and robust APIs. They teamed up with Nottingham-based creative agency Rusty Monkey to split responsibilities: Rohan handled data integration while the agency focused on front-end design and custom features. Within days, test environments were live—no sales rep or lengthy setup calls required. The new architecture allowed the team to add, remove, or update products and content in seconds, liberating time for strategic improvements rather than constant maintenance.

Custom BOPIS Experience

To serve customers who wanted to buy online and pick up in store, Rohan built a bespoke Click-and-Collect workflow on BigCommerce’s one-page checkout. A Google Maps-powered shop locator displays nearby outlets with hours and contact info. A “Delivery to Store” page walks customers through pricing, wait times, and pickup instructions. This feature set—one of the first of its kind on the platform—reinforced brand consistency and convenience.

Results

The migration launched under a tight deadline, but strong collaboration kept the project on track. Post-launch analytics revealed a 1,218% increase in conversions, a 28% boost in engagement rate, and a 77% jump in sessions per user. The ecommerce team now has bandwidth to A/B test layouts, optimize SEO, and craft campaigns instead of troubleshooting servers. Rohan have now a platform that they can trust.

Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Rohan aims to deepen engagement with its longstanding customer base while attracting new shoppers who value performance gear. The flexible BigCommerce architecture provides a solid foundation for headless storefronts, international expansion, and dynamic merchandising experiments. With fewer technology constraints, the brand can iterate swiftly and maintain its heritage of innovation.