RAPID Commerce Transformation Fuels 300x Conversion Growth for D2C Brand
FAST FACTS
Industry:
eCommerce
Specialty:
Direct-to-consumer fashion and lifestyle
Solution:
Custom TotalCommerce platform
Users:
Marketing, merchandising, and fulfillment teams
ABOUT THE PROJECT
A leading D2C fashion and lifestyle brand partnered with Cognativ after exhausting multiple off-the-shelf eCommerce platforms that failed to deliver meaningful ROI. Despite strong traffic and growing market interest, the brand faced high cart abandonment, slow load times, and internal bottlenecks that crippled launch velocity. Cognativ used its proprietary RAPID transformation framework to implement a custom TotalCommerce solution, consolidating fragmented systems into a single, scalable platform. The outcome: a dramatic 300x improvement in site conversion, 150% revenue growth, and long-term infrastructure savings.
PROJECT IDEA
- Develop a branded eCommerce platform that combines merchandising control, real-time analytics, and conversion-first UX.
- Eliminate technical silos by centralizing inventory, orders, promotions, and product content in one TotalCommerce instance.
- Enable non-technical teams to launch SKUs, promotions, and campaigns without developer reliance.
PROJECT CHALLENGES
- Legacy Platform Overhead: The client had invested heavily in Oracle and Java-based systems that consumed budget and slowed delivery.
- Cart Abandonment & Conversion Gaps: Customers often dropped off due to slow page loads, poor mobile UX, and inconsistent product displays.
- No Single Source of Truth: Marketing, merchandising, and operations each worked in separate tools—none of which integrated seamlessly.
- Developer-Centric Workflow: Any business change, from product setup to promo launch, required backend intervention and testing cycles.
RESULTS
- 300x increase in site conversion after redesigning and optimizing the end-to-end user journey.
- 150% growth in D2C revenue post-platform launch, with no additional ad spend.
- 70% reduction in technical overhead through removal of Oracle stack and legacy licensing fees.
- One unified TotalCommerce platform driving daily execution across all business units.
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
Though the brand had a loyal following and strong creative identity, it lacked the operational muscle to scale. Each product drop was a fire drill, with disconnected spreadsheets, inconsistent site updates, and last-minute technical fixes. The team couldn’t test offers quickly, and fulfillment errors were rising. The leadership team knew they weren’t getting full value from their tech investments, but internal debates stalled decisions.
In parallel, consumer expectations were shifting. The market demanded faster, smoother online experiences—with instant clarity on stock, size, and shipping. Yet the brand’s outdated infrastructure lagged behind, built for compliance and not performance. Frustrated by failed agency builds and high churn, they turned to Cognativ for a fix that would last.
WHY ECOMMERCE FOUNDERS TRUST COGNATIV?
At Cognativ, we’ve earned the trust of eCommerce leaders by delivering TotalCommerce solutions that align technology with business reality. Whether you’re scaling D2C channels or modernizing wholesale operations, our SmartSaaS™ platform eliminates bloated tools and gives your team direct control. Retailers and lifestyle brands choose Cognativ because we don’t just fix broken systems—we turn them into engines for growth.
LEGACY PLATFORM OVERHEAD
Years of sunk cost in Oracle-based infrastructure created rigid systems that couldn’t adapt to modern retail pace.
CART ABANDONMENT & CONVERSION GAPS
Every extra second of page load and every inconsistency in checkout design increased drop-off rates.
NO SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH
SKU data, order statuses, and campaign logic were duplicated across tools—creating confusion and delays.
DEVELOPER-CENTRIC WORKFLOW
The business team couldn’t move without engineering support, slowing time-to-market and innovation.
PROMOTION FRAGMENTATION
There was no central system for launching or analyzing promotions—leading to offer conflicts and lost revenue.
DISCONNECTED FULFILLMENT
Inventory and order data lived in different places, causing oversells and poor customer satisfaction.
THE SOLUTION
Recognizing that traditional eCommerce platforms couldn’t support rapid D2C growth, Cognativ rebuilt the stack using its RAPID transformation process.
- Phase 1: Cognativ worked with merchandising and operations leaders to identify bottlenecks and rebuild around business needs. The new TotalCommerce platform unified catalog, checkout, inventory, and marketing tools under one pane of glass.
- Phase 2: The team enabled self-service merchandising—empowering the business side to launch SKUs, run promos, and test bundles in real-time, without waiting on developers.
- Architecture: The system was designed on Cognativ’s composition-based SmartSaaS™ framework, providing flexibility for growth while maintaining upgrade stability. This ensured the brand wouldn’t outgrow its tech again.
HOW RAPID WAS USED...
"“The challenge wasn’t building a better store—it was aligning a disconnected team around a unified strategy and system. RAPID helped us move from chaos to clarity in 90 days.” "
– Ali Davachi, Cognativ Founder
What is the RAPID Framework?
RAPID is Cognativ’s proprietary decision and implementation framework: Research, Analyze, Plan, Implement, Decide. It’s built to guide business-critical transformations by aligning leadership, validating assumptions, and building tech that fits how companies actually operate. Documented in RAPID Transformation by Ali Davachi, it has helped firms from $20M to $2B restructure operations and deliver consistent results.
RESULTS OBTAINED
The EMR platform streamlined the process for hospitals to request and receive neurological services (emergent and routine) and removed the client's chief barrier to growth related to attracting neurologists.
Increase in Conversion Rate
Page load improvements and UX restructuring eliminated common customer drop-off points.
Revenue Growth
Streamlined merchandising and fulfillment directly contributed to higher average order values and better repeat rates.
Reduction in Infrastructure Spend
Retiring legacy tools cut hosting, licensing, and DevOps costs dramatically.
Source of truth
Every department now works off one platform—with shared data, timelines, and goals.
IMMEDIATE BENEFITS
- Faster Promo Launches: Non-technical users now control campaign workflows.
- Real-Time Data: Executives can monitor fulfillment, orders, and top SKUs with a single login.
- No Dev Wait Times: Merchandisers and marketers operate independently of the backend.
- Increased Reliability: Uptime improved, and feature deployment risk dropped by 80%.
ONGOING BENEFITS
- The platform now supports two sister brands under the same architecture—reducing launch time for new stores.
- With full code and data ownership, the client can iterate quickly, test new verticals, and protect margins.
- The solution continues to scale with traffic spikes, holiday events, and cross-channel initiatives—without requiring major refactoring.
- Cognativ remains a strategic partner for roadmap planning, platform optimization, and performance tuning.