Cheap as Chips’ new mobile-first Shopify Plus website delivered a 50%+ increase in online conversion rates and earned an 8/10 usability score from customers.
We’ve partnered with Cheap As Chips, supporting their eCommerce platform customisation, integration, and operational streamlining. As a leading supplier of hardware, home improvement, and outdoor products, Cheap As Chips required a robust and scalable solution to manage extensive product ranges, varied pricing structures, and high-volume order processing. Leveraging our LiveCube platform, we developed a bespoke eCommerce solution integrated directly with their ERP and inventory systems, automating workflows and ensuring real-time stock visibility and pricing accuracy. This integration enhances operational efficiency and supports Cheap As Chips’ focus on competitive pricing, customer satisfaction, and continuous growth. Their strong market presence is underpinned by a reliable digital infrastructure designed to scale.
The Strategy
Enhanced search accuracy, faster stock updates, and improved Click and Collect functionality significantly boosted customer satisfaction and sales performance.
The Challenge
Customer feedback identified that search functionality was the most-used feature, yet it was underperforming—returning poor or no results. Stock levels were also not updating promptly, creating fulfilment issues and customer dissatisfaction. The previous integration had limited capabilities, and the website was designed for desktop use with little consideration for mobile users.
The project also faced several technical challenges:
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Stock updates across stores needed to be processed within 5 to 15 minutes
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Shopify API limitations delayed the initial data upload
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The checkout experience required a Click and Collect filter to show only stores with all selected items in stock
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Improvements were needed in product page layout, shopping cart performance, and overall checkout flow
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Enabling default store selection for Click and Collect and integrating current payment gateways were essential
The Strategy
The primary objective was to increase the online customer conversion rate from 0.7% (as of May 2023) to 1%, representing a 0.3% uplift. This improvement was expected to take effect within four weeks of the new site launch, with the trend continuing into the new year once seasonal traffic subsided.
To support this, the team undertook a complete rebuild of the Shopify Plus website with a mobile-first focus—critical, as 72% of traffic came via mobile. The design and development needed to be completed and launched by 30th September 2023 to capitalise on the peak retail season of November and December, which contributes approximately 60% of annual online revenue.
A key part of the strategy included enabling store-level inventory visibility and a “directions to purchase in-store” feature to help drive foot traffic to physical locations.
The Technology
The existing site was built on Shopify Plus by the internal team with support from an external partner but required a major overhaul. The upgrade included:
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A new Shopify theme focused on performance, accessibility, and functionality
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A custom queue-based messaging platform to enable real-time systems integration
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Tailored solutions for in-store inventory visibility and Click and Collect
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Seamless integration with Netsuite to enhance speed, navigation, usability, and performance
This foundational work ensured the business was better positioned to deliver a fast, accurate, and user-friendly omni-channel experience aligned with its growth goals.
Cheap as Chips started in 1985 with a store in Morphett Vale South Australia and have since grown into a company with 50+ stores, and over 12,000 unique products available in stores and online. Cheap as Chips is 100% Australian owned and operated.