How Oakley Enhanced Its Conversion Rate on Shopify Plus by 84% with Codilar
Fashion & Lifestyle
Company Brief
Oakley, a subsidiary of Luxottica Group, is globally recognized for its sports-performance eyewear, apparel, and accessories. With a strong retail presence across 300+ stores worldwide, the brand has earned the trust of athletes and outdoor enthusiasts through its focus on innovation, design, and durability.
As consumer buying behavior in the Gulf increasingly shifted toward online channels, Oakley saw the opportunity to launch its UAE eCommerce store with its retail partner, Al Boom Marine, and reach a wider digital audience. However, building a website from the ground up meant every decision carried weight, from how customers discover products to how smoothly they complete a purchase. The brand needed a platform that could run the store reliably while ensuring customers could browse, choose, and check out without friction. To bring this vision to life, Oakley partnered with Codilar to build its direct-to-consumer (D2C) storefront on Shopify Plus and strengthen its online presence in the region.
UI/UX Experience
Product Discovery
Third-Party Integrations
Platform Performance
Customer Experience
Project Overview
While Oakley initially set out to launch its eCommerce store in the UAE to reach a wider regional audience, the goal went beyond going live to creating a user experience that felt as refined as the brand itself. Gender sequencing, easy navigation, seamless checkout, and product visibility all needed to work together without slowing discovery.
To bring this to life, Codilar partnered with Oakley to create the UAE store on Shopify Plus. The brand aimed to balance brand experience with platform performance. The project included all aspects of development, such as UI/UX design, integrations, and backend setup. By aligning smart logic with Martech and GTM strategies, Codilar supported Oakley in creating a browsing experience that improved customer acquisition and now feels cleaner and faster in the UAE market.
Business Challenges
Launching a new regional store from scratch
Creating a consistent UI/UX across key shopping pages
Ensuring smooth product discovery through navigation and filters
Delivering a seamless checkout experience within Shopify's framework
Ensuring SEO visibility and product discoverability
Short project timeline with evolving client requirements
Managing third-party integrations for key features
Balancing premium brand experience with high site performance
Codilar Solutioning Approach
Built a custom Shopify Plus theme designed for high performance
Leveraged Shopify GraphQL APIs for advanced functionality
Implemented area and city dropdown for localized delivery & regional targeting
Configured automation to auto-tag new arrivals and hide sold-out products
Integrated store credit, PLP filters & product swatches for easier browsing
Built reorder functionality within the My Account section for customer retention
Optimized theme assets from the development stage to improve site speed
Leveraged Shopify Plus native checkout for a reliable purchase flow & customer experience
Designed the storefront architecture to balance performance, product discovery & scalability
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When building a new regional store, the real challenge is not design. It is architecture. We focused on creating a lean Shopify Plus ecosystem that drives conversion today and scales without friction tomorrow.
Mohammad Aamir
Practice Head - Shopify, Codilar
Building a Storefront Designed for the Discovery & High-performance D2C Growth
When a New Launch Needs Careful Planning
Launching a new online store for a global brand like Oakley is not just about putting products on a website. The experience has to feel right from the first click to the final checkout. For Oakley's UAE market, the goal was to create a digital storefront that could represent the brand's premium identity while making it easy for customers to explore products and complete purchases online.
Since the store was being built from scratch, every decision mattered. Product discovery, navigation, checkout flow, and performance all had to be carefully planned so the store could grow smoothly as online demand increased.
Designing a Store That Feels Easy to Use
The approach focused on creating a seamless UI/UX journey that feels simple and natural for customers. Instead of relying on many third-party apps, the team built several features directly into the storefront so the website could remain fast and stable.
Navigation was simplified with a sidebar drawer menu that makes it easier for customers to move between categories. Product swatches and filters were added so shoppers could quickly explore different frame styles, colors, and lens options without opening multiple pages.
Automation also played an important role. New arrivals were automatically tagged so they appear in the right sections as soon as they are added to the catalog. At the same time, products that go out of stock are automatically hidden from browsing pages, so customers only see items that are available to purchase. And lastly, checkout was handled carefully within Shopify Plus built-in framework, ensuring customers could move from cart to payment without confusion or delays.
Over time, the store continued to evolve after the initial launch. New improvements, such as Tamara block integration, enhancements within the My Account section, preorder functionality, return options, and the upcoming Yalla integration, were introduced to support operational needs and improve the overall shopping experience.
We Make An Impact
Through Our Work
Checkout Conversion Rate
Exceptionally Low Cart
Abandonment Rate
New Customer
Acquisition Rate
Promising Customer
Retention Rate
We Make An Impact
Through Our Work
Checkout Conversion Rate
Exceptionally Low Cart
Abandonment Rate
New Customer
Acquisition Rate
Promising Customer
Retention Rate
“Codilar took complete ownership of the new Oakley UAE eCommerce store launch and executed it seamlessly. The team managed the entire launch with clarity and accountability and delivered a stable foundation for our digital growth.”
Vishal Vijaykumar
Head of eCommerce & Marketing
Alboom Marine
Measuring Business Impact
Soon after launch, the storefront started showing clear improvements in traffic, conversion, and customer acquisition. Website traffic grew by 64%, and checkout conversion hit 22%. The simpler browsing and checkout experience kept the cart abandonment rate low at 3.43%. The store also drew in many first-time buyers, with the new customer acquisition rate reaching 84.8%. As the platform evolved, repeat buying behavior began to appear. The store recorded a repurchase rate of 13.61%, showing early signs of a growing loyal customer base.
What started as a new online store gradually developed into a strong digital channel for Oakley in the UAE. With a stable technical foundation and an experience designed around customer convenience, the platform is now well-positioned to support the brand's continued growth in the region.
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