A global leader in sporting goods retail, INTERSPORT operates across 42 countries using a variety of commerce platforms, because one size doesn’t fit all. Taking a hyperlocal approach, INTERSPORT is focused on ensuring it can always adapt to the different customer needs of its local markets, to provide the most personalised services possible. As such, certain National Organisations recently adopted Shopify, based on their individual requirements for a flexible model that they could use to tailor digital experiences to local needs, while remaining aligned with global brand guidelines.
Since the change, the brand has seen:
- 65% Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) in Ireland
- 60% Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) in Denmark
- 35% Increase in conversions post-launch in Australia
A flexible platform for independent organisations
Select INTERSPORT National Organisations, including Ireland, Australia and Denmark, migrated to Shopify. This saw each National Organisation partner with a Shopify agency in their market, ensuring that their implementations aligned with local requirements and regulations.
Meanwhile, the ability to test and iterate new features before rolling out made scaling effortless and more cost-effective, allowing INTERSPORT to leverage the best of both worlds—local execution with global best practices and shared learnings.
“Shopify’s flexibility means our National Organisation teams are able to tailor storefronts to local needs and customer preferences,” explains Jasper Both, Director of Omnichannel Development at INTERSPORT. “This is all facilitated through Shopify’s intuitive interface, customisable templates, and expansive app ecosystem, which empower local teams to move quickly, without sacrificing brand consistency. Meanwhile, built-in support and the ability to test and iterate new features before rolling out to other markets make the platform ideal for ongoing innovation and growth.”
“A key factor in this success has been our collaborative approach,” Jasper continues. “Our teams hold regular calls with Shopify experts, ensuring continuous knowledge sharing and best practice adoption. This alignment enables us to develop new features and scale them across the INTERSPORT Group.”
The markets that have adopted Shopify are seeing benefits for their conversion rates, thanks to Shopify Checkout. Jasper highlights, “The fast, seamless checkout process has reduced friction, making it easier for customers to complete their purchases.”
Shopify Flow is also becoming an increasingly invaluable tool for the Shopify-enabled markets, transforming daily operations by automating repetitive tasks and routine workflows. This automation frees up time for employees to focus on high-value activities like developing personalised customer experiences and driving innovation initiatives.
Furthermore, Shopify’s instant access to data has been a game changer when it comes to faster and more informed decision-making. The custom dashboards and real-time insights enable teams to track performance, benchmark across markets, and quickly create reports for finance and buying teams—helping to streamline operations across the organisation.
Meanwhile, Draft Orders help National Organisation teams to recommend the best products to their customers, and is empowering INTERSPORT to further scale their mission to keep offering expert advice and a personalised service.
With Shopify, we’ve significantly reduced our reliance on custom development. Many of the features we previously needed to build from scratch are now available out-of-the-box, saving us both time and development costs while keeping our stores agile and scalable.
National success stories
The INTERSPORT National Organisations that are supported by Shopify are seeing impressive results while maintaining their local autonomy.
In Ireland, the shift to Shopify has resulted in a remarkable 65% reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO), freeing up significant resources that can be redirected toward customer experience initiatives and market-specific innovations. Meanwhile, Australia has seen conversions increase by 35% after implementing Shopify Checkout, demonstrating how the platform's optimised customer journey directly impacts bottom-line results.
Denmark's experience has seen a 60% reduction in TCO alongside significant improvements in operational agility. "We've reduced Total Cost of Ownership, while at the same time accelerating development speed. Launching new features now happens at a pace we've never seen before," notes Klavs Steenhof, Chief Digital Officer at INTERSPORT Denmark. The Danish team has also reported a 30% improvement in search engine rankings, enhancing their digital visibility and organic traffic.
These efficiency gains aren't just financial wins—they represent a fundamental shift in how these National Organisation teams can operate. For these INTERSPORT markets, the current approach provides the best of both worlds: speedy local execution combined with global best practices, reinforcing their position at the “Heart of Sport.”
Providing personalised, best-in-class service to our consumers is in our DNA, and we believe Shopify will help us stay close to our customers and continue adapting to their evolving needs. Efficiency in your tech stack is important, but the real question is: how do you serve your customers best? Shopify strikes a strong balance between operational efficiency and the flexibility to customise where it matters most.