MonkeySports hits a home run with Adobe Commerce

Scoring business goals

For dedicated hockey players, top-tier equipment is necessary to keep up with the fast-paced — and frequently physical — nature of their sport. Since its start as a small, three-person shop in 1999, MonkeySports has consistently scored with athletes on and off the ice for its passionate approach to hockey gear, the game, and the customer experience. With a 2003 business expansion into lacrosse and baseball, the company has since grown into an industry- leading sporting goods retailer.

Today, MonkeySports operates retail superstores in Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Hampshire, California, Canada, and Sweden. Their catalog boasts an impressive selection of sport kits for ice hockey, roller hockey, goalie, lacrosse, baseball, and softball by high profile brands including Reebok, Easton, Bauer, CCM, and Warrior.

Digital growth for MonkeySports has been just as strong. Their flagship site is the leading online ice hockey store in traffic, product offerings, and sales, with additional digital storefronts catering to hockey goalies, lacrosse, and baseball players. There’s even a website dedicated to outfitting athletic teams with today’s most trusted sporting equipment brands.

When business growth went into overtime, MonkeySports had to reevaluate its digital foundation using Magento Commerce 1, its online operating platform since the early 2010s. An ever- expanding codebase had added layers of complexity that were difficult to manage.

MonkeySports decided a new solution was ready for its turn at bat. The chosen successor was Magento Commerce 2 (now Adobe Commerce), a next generation eCommerce platform ready to deliver a future-proof balance of scalability, customization, and security.

Process of Migration

With multiple digital properties in play, switching to Adobe Commerce required a team effort. MonkeySports united with Perficient, an Adobe Enterprise Solution Partner capable of providing the experience, expertise, and end-to-end commerce capabilities necessary for a seamless transition.

Using the open system architecture of Adobe Commerce, MonkeySports and Perficient implemented several pre-built software integrations to accelerate site performance. These included Fastly, a content delivery network (CDN) that speeds up content transmission, and Varnish, a caching web proxy that can substantially improve website and eCommerce performance. And because these are readymade integrations, MonkeySports didn’t have to build a new infrastructure.

One critical area of focus was a series of upgrades to the site’s security framework. Since Adobe Commerce is part of Adobe Experience Cloud and PCI certified as a Level 1 Solution Provider, it offers unparalleled security along with PCI compliance. The company utilized Adobe’s PCI Attestation of Compliance to drive its own PCI certification process.

Site development also picked up the pace thanks to a reduced need for custom programming courtesy of vetted extensions from Perficient and trusted Adobe Commerce third-party partners, including Listrak, Kount, and Authorize.net.

For example, using the Adobe Commerce Reward Points extension, MonkeySports implemented an improved loyalty program that caters to their silver, gold, and platinum tier groups. Depending on the tier, customers can qualify for incentives, such as more points per dollar spent or free shipping. Loyalty programs such as this are proven to increase average order value and convert casual website visitors into loyal customers.

There’s also the Amasty Shipping extension, which lets MonkeySports offer free will call and pickup from one of their brick-and-mortar retail locations. Using custom code developed by Perficient, they also added a Daily Deals program so site admins can list product deals and special pricing on a set schedule.

With the codebase now up to date, MonkeySports had secured their commerce experience end-to-end.

Success

In July 2020, MonkeySports launched their stores on Adobe Commerce, treating customers to an updated, mobile-optimized eCommerce experience defined by accelerated performance, detailed merchandise images, integrated YouTube product videos, and a fast, frictionless checkout process.

Ki Song, director of ecommerce development, says, “We’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback from customers about how easy checkout has become. Specifically, shipping information is now entered before billing information, creating a more standard checkout flow.”

Within the first month, conversion rates increased by 10 percent across MonkeySports’ entire eCommerce platform. Revenue also saw corresponding gains with a 10 percent increase the first month and a 20 percent increase within two months.

By migrating to the latest version of Adobe Commerce, MonkeySports Inc. has made it easier for hockey fans, lacrosse players, and baseball sluggers to shop online for brand name athletic equipment.