Trying to save consumers considerable time and effort looking for the right products to purchase has been the goal of many marketplaces online. However, few have achieved building a one-stop-shop offer for a specific niche. That is what brings us to take a closer look at the story behind  Manhattan Wardrobe  Supplies and how they became an eCommerce powerhouse.

The Story behind the brand

It was a passion for their craft that drove Cheryl Kilbourne-Kimpton and Tommy Boyer to create this one-stop-shop for all things costume, fashion, and make-up professionals would need. They first got the idea to create the company back in 1988. As theatre and film professionals, they often experienced the hassle of finding the right costume, fashion, and make-up supplies from the crew they worked with. They saw a golden opportunity for a much-needed business and thus created what we now know as Manhattan Wardrobe Supplies (MWS).

Thanks to their unique one-stop-shopping experience, by staying true to their core business and offering unmatched customer service the company has managed to grow into the pro beauty service market, carrying hair and makeup supplies professionals. They have also expanded their store in Chelsea, New York, and added an eCommerce site. 

What makes the brand stand out? 

In today’s highly competitive beauty industry, what continues to make the brand stand out is the focus they have for their niche and what this means for their unmatched selection of products. 

MWS has been able to build a dream business by listening to their buyers’ demands and adapting its catalogue to those needs. As their customer baseline and industry has changed, so has their product offering. However, their value proposition of being a unique one-stop-shop remains at the core of their success. Whether it be TV, Theater, Films, Circus or Dance productions, MWS continues to spearhead the concept of having all your supplies in one place.  

What brought the brand to sell online? 

Having found success via their one-stop-shop service through their product selection, the company looked to expand its store in Chelsea to Broadway, Las Vegas, as well as by investing in an eCommerce website. However, when initially launching the website they had a difficult time finding the right partner for their needs.  

When they first turned to Resolve Digital, the company was investing countless hours in stabilizing the code base and not any new (necessary) feature add-ons. They were draining their resources trying to manage the bugs on their site – as soon as they would fix one, more would pop up. As experts in the field, we were able to assume the maintenance of their site and upgrade it to achieve a fully functional site with new features. 

What difference did working with Resolve Digital have on your site?

Working with Resolve Digital brought about visible changes for their site within weeks. When assuming the maintenance of the site Resolve addressed many of the ongoing bugs including page load times, server errors, and deployment restrictions. A major change was the upgrade to Spree 2.1 from the 1.3 version that had been used originally. 

It was the monthly retainer agreement that allowed Resolve Digital to work in depth on these important issues and eventually focus on improving customer experience and raising conversion rates. By the time New York Fashion Week came around, we had launched a new responsive site  to offer their busy customers an easier and faster way to buy on their mobile devices, spiking overall conversions by 51%. 

Today, the company offers over 10,000 products spread over 70+ categories from their Spree Commerce site and brick-and-mortar stores. 

Final Remarks: 

MWS is an outstanding example of the difference expert development talent makes when producing a customized Spree Commerce website. Whether it was addressing maintenance, building new features, or optimizing for mobile, Resolve Digital proved to be the right fit for a monthly investment. 

The significant improvements to the structure and function of the MWS site we achieved together have set the stage for the growth of the company, and we are proud to have tangible conversion results from this process. 

If the story behind MWS’s success resonates with you, or if you’re currently struggling to find a trusted partner for your Spree Commerce site, give us a call! We’d be happy to discuss what we can offer for your brand.