Luxury art-book publisher: 12 global stores, $30M annual revenue. Commerce platform built on dual-instance Shopify Plus to handle €5M sales events and international scale.
Snapshot
Client
Renowned luxury art-book publisher
Industry
Publishing / Luxury Retail / E-Commerce
Geography
Global (Europe and North America)
Size
12 global stores; $30M+ annual revenue; €5M individual sales events; 20+ retail locations
Challenge
E-commerce replatforming, international rollout, systems integration
Services
Shopify Plus implementation, ERP/PIM/CMS integration, POS-connected B2C storefront, ongoing optimization
Duration
Ongoing
Team
Not specified
$30M
GMV, platform processes this volume annually
20+
retail locations, POS-connected storefront operational
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Client Context
This client is a renowned luxury art-book publisher operating 12 stores globally with annual revenue exceeding $30 million. The business serves collectors and buyers across Europe and North America through both e-commerce and physical retail, with individual sales events capable of generating up to 5 million in a single campaign. The client’s name is confidential. Contact us for a reference call. The product catalog is complex: high-value limited editions, multiple currencies, international tax and compliance requirements, and content-rich product pages that require coordination between editorial, product, and commerce teams. Physical retail is a significant channel, with more than 20 locations requiring integrated point-of-sale capability.
The Challenge
The legacy commerce platform could not scale to match the business. It lacked multi-region capabilities, which constrained international growth across European and North American markets. Backend operations product data, inventory, orders were managed across disconnected systems with significant manual overhead. The highest-stakes limitation was platform reliability under peak load. Sales events generating up to €5 million in revenue represent concentrated traffic and transaction volume. A platform failure during one of these events means direct, unrecoverable revenue loss. The legacy system could not provide the confidence required. The replatforming needed to address multi-region commerce, full backend systems integration, POS connectivity for 20+ retail locations, and long-term scalability for international expansion while maintaining continuity of operations throughout the transition.
The Approach
Gradion architected and deployed a dual-instance Shopify Plus setup, with separate instances for Europe and North America. This structure addressed the multi-currency, multi-tax, and regional compliance requirements while allowing each market to be optimized independently. Backend systems integration was central to the engagement. Microsoft Business Central (ERP) was integrated for real-time order and financial data sync. Akeneo (PIM) was connected to manage the complex product catalog at scale. Makaira (CMS) was integrated for content and merchandising management. Together, these integrations replaced the manual coordination that had been required across disconnected systems. For physical retail, Gradion deployed a POS-connected B2C storefront covering all 20+ global retail locations, creating a unified commerce layer across online and in-store channels. Ongoing optimization and campaign support were built into the engagement, with specific focus on the high-volume sales events that represent a disproportionate share of annual revenue. Platform stability during these events was a non-negotiable delivery requirement.
$30M
GMV, platform processes this volume annually
5
5M+ sales events, platform maintained stability under peak campaign load
20+
retail locations, POS-connected storefront operational
The Results
$30M GMV platform processes this volume annually 5M+ sales events platform maintained stability under peak campaign load Dual-instance Shopify Plus Europe and North America live with regional optimization Full backend integration ERP (Microsoft Business Central), PIM (Akeneo), CMS (Makaira) connected and syncing in real time 20+ retail locations POS-connected storefront operational Reduced manual overhead backend sync replaced disconnected manual processes Scalable international foundation architecture supports continued expansion across regions
Services & Technology
Services delivered
- Shopify Plus implementation (dual-instance)
- ERP integration (Microsoft Business Central)
- PIM integration (Akeneo)
- CMS integration (Makaira)
- POS-connected B2C storefront
- E-commerce campaign optimization
- Ongoing platform support
Technology stack
- Shopify Plus (dual-instance: EU + NA)
- Microsoft Business Central (ERP)
- Akeneo (PIM)
- Makaira (CMS)
- POS integration layer
Engagement model
Replatforming project + ongoing support
Running a multi-region commerce operation on a platform that can’t handle the load?
Describe the architecture and the events. We will scope the migration.