How THE UPSIDE Achieved 161% Revenue Growth by Migrating to BigCommerce

THE UPSIDE's Transformation Journey

THE UPSIDE began as a gap-seeking concept in 2013 when founder Jodhi Meares recognized a need for elevated activewear that could transition from studio workouts to corporate meetings. Based in Sydney with a growing satellite office in the United States, the brand built four brick-and-mortar stores and an online presence powering both B2C retail and high-end B2B wholesale partnerships.

The Magento Maintenance Trap

As THE UPSIDE scaled, the team found their Magento 2 platform demanding constant attention—security patches, version upgrades and bug fixes monopolized their agency retainer. “Most of our development budget was eaten just to keep the lights on,” recalls Operations Manager Jesse Chan. That drain left little bandwidth for innovation or marketing-driven enhancements, stunting growth even as demand climbed.

Choosing BigCommerce for Agility

When evaluating alternatives, THE UPSIDE compared Shopify Plus but ultimately followed their digital agency’s advice to adopt BigCommerce. They were drawn to its extensive out-of-the-box functionality and robust multi-store, multi-currency capabilities—ideal for their Australian and US markets. The user-centric CMS empowered internal teams to create content and promotions without waiting on developers, slashing time-to-market on new campaigns.

Seamless Integrations Fuel Personalization

Central to THE UPSIDE’s strategy was a curated integration stack. Searchspring handled onsite merchandising and faceted search, allowing product categories and rules to update automatically. Email marketing via Klaviyo tapped transaction-level data from BigCommerce, enabling hyper-targeted automated workflows and personalized journeys. “These apps connected in minutes, not weeks of heavy lifting,” says Head of Digital Airi Sutherland.

Social Commerce and Beyond

Facebook and Instagram Shopping channels directed social traffic back to the BigCommerce checkout, with in-app purchases on the roadmap. Their nimble infrastructure made it straightforward to experiment with in-platform checkout options and link new marketing channels without friction.

Stellar Performance and Growth

Post-migration results were dramatic. Comparing July–September 2021 (post-BigCommerce) to the same period in 2020, THE UPSIDE saw a 103% increase in conversion rate, a 163% jump in orders, and a 161% uptick in revenue. The team even leans on BigCommerce’s built-in analytics as a secondary layer to Google Analytics, thanks to more complete transaction capture, especially in the US.

Looking Ahead

With a sturdy, scalable foundation in place, THE UPSIDE is plotting smart enhancements: implementing AI-driven product recommendations, launching a loyalty program and experimenting with click-and-collect options. “BigCommerce sits at the heart of our digital experience,” says Sutherland. “It’s why we’re positioned to keep scaling.”