Bringing Billie’s Iconic US Brand to AU/NZ with Shopify Markets
Billie, the bold and daring women’s hair removal brand shaking up the US market, has landed down under! Billie partnered with Vine Digital to bring their celebrated aesthetic and personality to Australia and New Zealand. The mission was clear — create a high-impact, eCommerce-ready platform that felt unmistakably Billie, while tailoring the experience for local audiences.
By combining a design-led approach, a best-practice UX/UI audit, and strategic implementation of Shopify Markets, we delivered a scalable, high-performance site that can seamlessly evolve into full eCommerce when the time is right.
Case Study at a Glance
- Transformed Billie’s US digital experience for AU/NZ — applied a best-practice UX/UI audit to adapt design and functionality, preserving brand fidelity while elevating usability for local audiences.
- Engineered a scalable Shopify Plus platform — built on the high-performing Broadcast theme to deliver premium design, rapid deployment, and a flexible foundation ready for future eCommerce activation.
- Maximised efficiency with Shopify Markets — launched fully localised AU/NZ content, retailer links, and SEO targeting from a single store, eliminating the cost and complexity of managing multiple storefronts.
Expert-Level Service — Absolutely Recommend!
“Vine Digital was highly organised and incredibly thorough, leaving no detail overlooked. They consistently went above and beyond, always finding a way to deliver on every request, & worked seamlessly with key stakeholders both locally and overseas. We’ve received countless positive comments about our new website — we couldn’t have done it without Vine Digital.”
Billie: Beauty Meets Bold
Since its launch in the US, Billie has challenged industry norms, tackling the pink tax and celebrating body positivity with products designed for the way women actually shave. In Australia and New Zealand, Billie is bringing its signature mix of clean design, sharp copy, and unapologetic confidence to the shelves — and now, to a digital experience that feels just as premium as its products.
Key Challenges Solved
1. Localising a global brand without custom theme files
Billie’s US site runs on a custom theme within a hybrid Contentful/Shopify setup. This meant theme files couldn’t be transferred directly, so we needed to recreate the experience from the ground up within a Shopify Plus theme, enhanced with targeted customisations.
2. Creating a scalable eCommerce foundation in a non-transactional launch phase
While the AU/NZ site launched without direct-to-consumer purchasing, the desire was for the site to be eCommerce-ready from day one — reducing the need for redevelopment when the transactional phase begins.
3. Avoiding the multi-store inefficiency
Many international brands still operate separate Shopify stores per market, assuming it’s essential for localisation, fulfilment, or SEO. We proved that with Shopify Markets, a single store can achieve all three — without duplicating work or increasing operational costs.
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Our Solution
UX/UI Audit & Localisation
We began with a comprehensive UX/UI audit, knowing the US store’s setup meant its theme couldn’t be directly transferred. Instead, we identified which elements of the US design could be faithfully replicated and where adjustments were needed for AU/NZ audiences. This informed changes such as:
● Restructured navigation to prioritise SEO-led collections for easier product discovery.
● Sticky mega menu navigation featuring promotional imagery for campaigns.
● Optimised product pages with benefits, imagery, and ingredients above the fold.
● Prominent credibility markers — awards and media features high on the homepage.
● Best Sellers and Explore Collections sections to guide browsing and boost engagement.
● Newsletter subscription pop-up to grow the owned database from day one.
Shopify Plus & Broadcast Theme
We implemented Shopify Plus using the feature-rich Broadcast theme to combine premium design quality with speed-to-market and scalability. This choice allowed:
● Pixel-perfect brand execution with flexibility to evolve features over time.
● Efficient asset management and optimised oversized imagery for performance.
● Ability to activate advanced eCommerce features over time without starting from scratch.
Shopify Markets Implementation
We configured Shopify Markets to serve AU and NZ from a single Shopify Plus store, enabling:
● Localised content, SEO, and outbound CTAs for each market.
● Market-specific retailer logos and links, with the flexibility to extend to pricing, tax, and currency localisation in future.
● Centralised management for efficiency and brand consistency.
With Shopify Markets, all markets operate under one primary domain. For Billie, this meant the AU store acted as the master site, with the NZ market redirecting to the AU domain — a practical choice given on-pack QR codes differed per country, ensuring consistent customer journeys without maintaining a separate site.
Engagement, Compliance & Future-Proofing
● Verified Reviews & Engagement Roadmap — selected Yotpo for verified reviews and scoped apps for contests and gamification when eCommerce activates.
● CRM & Lifecycle Marketing — integrated Klaviyo for future localised flows and engagement campaigns.
● Cookie Consent Compliance — implemented TrustArc for GDPR compliance.
● WCAG Accessibility Checks — ensured inclusivity and alignment with accessibility best practices.
● AI Customer Support — deployed Emplifi’s AI chatbot on the Contact page for instant, on-brand assistance.
Single Store vs Multiple Stores — When to Choose Each
| Consideration | Single Store (Shopify Markets) | Multiple Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Product Ranges | Works well if ranges are similar; can hide/show products per market | Best for entirely different ranges |
| Pricing | Supports region-specific pricing and currencies | Fully customisable |
| Fulfilment | Can route by market settings or manual rules for dispatch efficiency | Fully independent fulfilment logic |
| SEO | Supports market-specific domains/subdomains | Separate SEO control per store |
| Content | Localise copy, imagery, and metadata per market | Full creative independence |
| Operational Efficiency | One dashboard, one theme to maintain | Higher maintenance overhead |
Multiple stores may still be required for drastically different product sets, fulfilment models, or brand strategies. For Billie, Shopify Markets offered the optimal balance of localisation, operational efficiency, and scalability.
Business Impact
● Established a premium, locally-optimised brand experience fully aligned with Billie’s global identity.
● Reduced operational overhead by eliminating the need for duplicate store management.
● Created a scalable technical foundation for future eCommerce rollout without major redevelopment.
● Delivered early organic traction, with Google Search Console showing strong brand search visibility since launch.
Lessons Learned
● Localisation success depends on adapting UX, navigation, and content hierarchy — not just translating copy.
● Choosing the right commercial theme early prevents costly rebuilds later.
● Shopify Markets can replace multiple stores in many cases, maintaining SEO and operational efficiency.
Next Steps
● Engagement & Audience Growth – Drive brand awareness across channels, leveraging campaigns to grow audiences and surface reviews to strengthen credibility.
● Lifecycle Marketing – Activate Klaviyo for welcome flows, nurture sequences, and ongoing engagement campaigns.
● Product & Content – Support new product launches with compelling digital experiences and manage content to maintain brand consistency.
● UX & Performance Optimisation – Monitor user behaviour via Microsoft Clarity to inform ongoing UX and conversion improvements.
Vine Digital combines deep UX expertise with SEO and geo-targeting insights to deliver high-impact, brand-led digital experiences. Partner with us to delight customers, reflect brand personality, and create fully optimised websites ready to scale.
