How TASCHEN Boosted Online Revenue by 20% in 5 Months with Shopify Plus

Introduction

TASCHEN, a renowned art and design publisher based in Cologne, Germany, made the decision to give its digital storefront a complete overhaul. Their previous custom-built platform had become cumbersome, creating bottlenecks for updates, complex integrations, and limiting the speed at which they could expand into international markets. To meet lofty growth ambitions, the company sought a more agile solution.

Challenge

From the start, the in-house system strained under new demands. Integrating essential functions like international pricing, language support, and third-party dropship suppliers required lengthy development cycles. Each update introduced delays, making swift adjustments impossible. TASCHEN wanted to break free from those constraints, get a working shop online in multiple regions fast, and maintain full control without sacrificing stability.

Solution

By partnering with Marmalade agency and adopting Shopify Plus, TASCHEN unlocked a headless commerce architecture that separates content presentation from backend services. They plugged in a Product Information Management (PIM) system to handle rich metadata, then pointed their custom frontend at Shopify's robust APIs. This set up allowed them to:

• Launch the storefront in five different countries and five languages, all within five months
• Implement Shopify Checkout for a fast, secure, and reliable payment experience
• Connect telephone orders, retail POS, and dropship channels into a unified workflow
• Roll out discount codes, gift vouchers, and targeted customer segments without extra code

This flexible system made it easy to update content, add new sales channels, and manage inventory in real time. The separation of concerns let front-end developers focus on brand storytelling, while the back-end services handled order processing and payments.

Results

Within five months of kicking off development, the new international store went live. Year-over-year revenue jumped by 20%, total orders rose by 12%, and the average order value climbed by 6%. Updates that once took weeks could now be pushed in hours, giving TASCHEN full control over promotions and product releases. The headless setup cut down on dependency issues, and the out-of-the-box Shopify apps further accelerated time to market.

Looking Ahead

With a solid headless foundation in place, TASCHEN plans to expand its wholesale operations through Shopify Wholesale, delivering a direct-to-business customer journey that feels as smooth as their B2C site. This unified platform will support both retail and B2B growth for years to come and has given their teams the confidence to experiment without friction.

Conclusion

Swapping a slow, restrictive system for Shopify Plus transformed TASCHEN’s digital business. The launch was swift, the operating setup streamlined, and performance metrics climbed across the board. As a mix of art publisher and retailer, TASCHEN can now match creativity with commerce speed in any market they choose.