Footwear retailer Soletrader unveils new headless e-commerce site using BigCommerce platform

Soletrader has launched its new headless and composable website on the BigCommerce platform.

Founded over 60 years ago, Soletrader has more than 28 bricks and mortar stores and concessions across the UK, trading as Soletrader and Sole.

“We had replatformed our previous websites only three years ago, and they were very much still fit for purpose,“ says Marcel Bordon, CEO at Soletrader.

“But we decided to flex our in-house tech capabilities and replatform again to position ourselves at the cutting-edge of technology now and in the future. This is our commitment to continue innovating and evolving our technology to deliver an incredible experience for our customers and our brands.”

The new site taps BigCommerce’s platform to underpin a composable commerce storefront, leveraging Storyblok for content, search and merchandising from Algolia, marketing operations from Klaviyo and hosted on Next.js infrastructure from Vercel.

BigCommerce partner Cygnet Digital oversaw development of the project in a partnership with Soletrader’s in-house team.

“We were thrilled to partner with Soletrader, BigCommerce and others on this transformative project,” says Peter Ross, Managing Director at Cygnet Digital.

“We created a cutting-edge, headless e-commerce solution that not only meets Soletrader’s current needs but also sets them up for future success. The collaborative effort and innovative technology stack have resulted in a platform that truly elevates the customer experience.”

“Soletrader considers itself a technology company that sells shoes, and they’ve proven that with this new website that is both beautiful and well built,” says Mark Adams, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EMEA at BigCommerce.

“Leveraging key technologies from industry leaders such as Algolia, Klaviyo, Storyblok and Vercel, Soletrader is now ready to evolve quickly to stay ahead of the market.”

"By successfully implementing state-of-the-art solutions, our partner Cygnet Digital enabled Soletrader to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience,” says Barry D’Arcy, Vice President of Partners at Storyblok.

“This project underscores our commitment to cultivating innovative partnerships that enhance customer engagement across all touchpoints, demonstrating our dedication to driving exceptional and consistent customer experiences."

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online retail is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which is now open for entries.

The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.