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Shoppers browse by skiing, running, hunting or everyday wear, with filters for gsm weight and neckline.
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- Direct-to-consumer storefront for Men's merino base layers
A Men's Merino Base Layer Online Store Built for Your Own Customers
SIZ Group designs and builds a direct-to-consumer merino base layer online store where shoppers browse by activity, find the right gsm weight and check out in a few taps. We plan every page around how men actually buy thermals before a ski trip or a cold morning on the water.
01
Why Your Own Storefront Matters More for Merino Brands
Merino base layers are a considered purchase. A man wants the gsm weight, the blend and the way a top sits under a shell, and a marketplace listing beside forty rivals rarely gives him those answers in order. Your own store lets you tell that story properly.
Direct sales also keep the relationship with you. When a skier buys a 200 gsm crew top and returns for matching leggings, that second order should pass through your account and your email list, not a platform that holds the buyer data.
Margin is the third reason. A marketplace takes a commission on every order and sets the returns rules. Your store keeps the full order value, provided it turns paid search visitors into buyers, which is why we start with the shopping path.
02
What Shoppers Look for in a Merino Base Layer Online Store
Most shoppers arrive with a job in mind: a lightweight crew for spring running, a midweight zip neck for ice fishing or a long-sleeve top for ski touring. Collections should mirror those jobs, with filters for weight, neckline, length and blend.
On the product page, men look for a size chart measured in chest and body length, a plain note on odor resistance and care, and close photos of the flatlock seams. Reviews that explain how a top fits under a jacket count for more than a star rating.
Search gets as much attention as checkout. We would tag every variant by weight, color, size and activity, then test the words merino buyers really type, such as zip neck, gsm and half zip.
03
What the Brand Owner Needs the Store to Prove Before Sign-Off
Before approving the build, a brand owner usually wants evidence on three points: more revenue per visit than the current channel, no lost orders on a phone, and collection changes made without a ticket. We agree those tests during the scoping call and write them into the confirmed scope.
The first proof is the purchase path. We walk the flow on a midrange Android phone and an iPhone on cellular data, counting taps from a collection page to a paid order. A returning customer should reach payment in fewer steps, with saved sizes and express options such as Shop Pay or Apple Pay in place.
The second proof is operational. A merchandiser should publish a new colorway or correct a size chart the same afternoon, without a code release. If those jobs are simple in the admin, the store works as a marketing channel instead of a project that needs a developer every time.
- Mobile checkout completed in the same number of taps on iPhone and Android
- Size and fit questions answered on the product page without opening a chat
- A merchandiser publishes a new colorway without help from a developer
- Abandoned cart emails show the saved item and the correct size
What you get
Key features
Search that understands merino terms
Synonyms and common misspellings return the right layer when someone types zip neck or half zip.
Size and fit guidance on every product
Charts measured in chest and body length, with fit notes for layering under a jacket.
Fast cart and express checkout
A saved cart, guest checkout and express payment options that work on a phone with a weak signal.
Repeat order tools for returning buyers
Saved sizes, one-tap reorder of the same top and a wish list for the next cold season.
04
Cold-Season Peaks and Quiet Stretches in Demand
Demand builds in early autumn, when the first cold mornings arrive, and holds through the ski season in the Rockies and the Northeast. Holiday gift buying adds a second wave in November and December, and January brings returns and gift-card redemptions.
We would load test the cart and payment path before the holiday campaign, cache collection pages and set up a waitlist for popular sizes that sell out on the first day of a drop. Inventory counts must stay accurate across every channel you sell through.
Late spring and early summer are quieter for thermals. Merchandising rules can then feature lighter weights and sun-protection tops on the homepage, and switch the default sort order by season, so the store matches the weather.
05
Getting Shoppers and Staff to Use the New Store
Launch day should not be the only promotion. We suggest moving existing customers first, with a short note from the brand that links to the new collections and explains where to log in. Anyone who already wears your 200 gsm top knows the product, so the message can focus on the faster route to reorder.
Customer service agents need a short handover. They should know how to find an order, change a size before dispatch and reissue a shipping label. Wholesale reps and retail partners should have one link to share with their stockists, plus a walkthrough recorded for each role.
The first stretch after launch shows what shoppers hoped to find. Search terms that return nothing and checkout steps where people give up point to two or three quick fixes. Agree in advance who reviews those signals and how often.
06
The Business Numbers the Storefront Should Move
We set a baseline from your current analytics before launch, so the store is judged against real figures. The core measures are revenue per visitor, conversion rate on tops compared with bottoms, add-to-cart rate on mobile and repeat purchase rate.
Reporting should show the path, not only the total. You should see which collection drives the first order, which search term leads to a purchase and where returning buyers stop. Those views tell the merchandising team what to feature next.
We would also check whether bundles lift the average order value without hurting margin. A top and a pair of leggings sold together should earn more per order, and the report should confirm that the discount is not simply moving sales that would have happened anyway.
- Revenue per visitor compared with your current sales channel
- Conversion rate on product pages, split by tops and bottoms
- Repeat purchase rate for customers who bought in the previous season
- Share of orders that begin from a saved email or a reminder
How do we get a merino base layer online store built without surprises?+
The scope depends on how many products, variants and integrations you have, so we confirm the plan in writing after a free scoping call. We do not give a launch date until we have seen your catalog and your payment and shipping setup.
Should we keep selling on marketplaces after the store launches?+
Many brands keep a marketplace presence for reach while the store holds the full range and the customer relationship. We would set up product feeds so stock and prices match, and you can review the margin on each marketplace first.
Can existing customers keep their accounts and saved sizes?+
That depends on the platform you move from and what the export contains. We review the data, check how passwords are handled and set up a simple reset path so returning buyers see their saved sizes again.
Which platform do you recommend for a single-brand apparel store?+
We build on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and headless setups, and recommend the one that suits your catalog size and team skills. Shopify is often the simplest to run for one brand, but the scoping call is where we confirm that choice.
Let's make it happen
Plan Your Merino Base Layer Online Store
Book a free scoping call and we will map your collections and checkout, then send pricing in writing.