How Wheels and Wings Accelerated 213% Revenue Growth with BigCommerce

Background

Founded on a bustling Toronto street in July 1986, Wheels and Wings Hobbies began as a family-run shop offering board games, puzzles, and occasional model kits. Under the stewardship of Don McCowan, the store refined its focus to cater exclusively to plastic model enthusiasts, stocking paints, adhesives, brushes, and every accessory needed to spark creativity. By 2018, Don leveraged his database expertise to launch WheelsWingsHobbies.com, initially listing a few hundred items.

Challenge

As the online catalog grew, X-Cart, the platform of choice, started to trip over itself. Site performance plateaued at just under $200,000 in revenue per month, and both customers and internal teams struggled with navigation, checkout, and backend management. Complex SKUs and category structures became a maintenance nightmare, so Don knew a robust solution was needed.

Solution

After vetting market leaders, BigCommerce emerged as the clear winner. Don appreciated its transparent pricing, enterprise-grade APIs, and extendable database layer—platform it's robust and flexible. Within minutes of selecting a theme from its library, the team had a polished storefront without a single line of custom code. This approach reduced development risk and shortened time to market.

Implementation

Don personally orchestrated the migration of over 60,000 SKUs, carrying legacy records from 1986 to the new platform. He meticulously mapped categories, product attributes, and inventory levels. Intake was seamless thanks to BigCommerce’s import tools and detailed documentation. Training sessions empowered a junior manager to perform day-to-day updates, making the operation self-sufficient.

Results

Within a month of launch, Wheels and Wings saw revenue spike by 213% year-over-year, validating the new architecture. Customer feedback praised the intuitive navigation, rapid search results, and streamlined checkout. Support calls dropped dramatically as the team leaned on a comprehensive knowledge base. Future projections estimate another 56% lift over the next 12 months.

Looking Ahead

Buoyed by early success, Wheels and Wings expanded advertising to Google Shopping and niche hobby networks, accelerating SKU turnover. A new policy ensures every additional tool or integration is vetted for compatibility with BigCommerce, solidifying the platform as the company’s technological epicenter.