In 2011, Jon Beekman and Sam Gong decided they were tired of receiving dull gifts — like socks and neckties — that lacked originality and personality. They wanted to offer gifts that men would truly love, items that communicated the unique relationship between giver and recipient. They launched ManCrates.com on Bigcommerce with a simple goal: creating a one-stop online destination for awesome men’s gifts.

Business goal: Become THE destination for men’s gifts

Man Crates selected Bigcommerce for its flexibility, ease of use and rapid deployment of new features. For Gong, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Bigcommerce’s high availability and cloud-based architecture also meant his in-house marketing and engineering teams could remain focused on testing and rolling out improvements to the store without worrying about the site going down or suffering from sluggish performance.

Bigcommerce benefit: Building a brand at speed

Man Crates — Explosive growth forunique men’s gift store

Personality-driven brand turns “no ugly neckties” mantra into booming business with Bigcommerce

THE BIGCOMMERCE DIFFERENCE

203%Increase in

conversion

369%increase in

monthly visitors

7.2%Increase in

average order value

/ CASE STUDY

For more information bigcommerce.com/enterprise

After evaluating several platforms, Beekman and Gong knew they needed a commerce solution capable of offering flexibility and control, while still enabling their team to work quickly without being burdened by technical complexity. “Speed and continuous improvement are part of our DNA,” explained Gong. Specifically, the company needed a platform that would enable its marketing team to effectively merchandise products while also telling its playful, “unabashedly masculine” brand story. It was also key to find a platform that would integrate with the company’s systems for fulfilling orders and communicating with customers. “Operational execution is mission critical for us, and Bigcommerce was great for delivering exactly what it said it would,” said Gong.

Challenges

After integrating Bigcommerce with its CRM and order management systems, Man Crates is now able to instantly notify its fulfillment team when online orders are placed — significantly expediting shipping times. Through tightly integrating its back-office systems, Man Crates can also inform customers exactly when gifts will be delivered, providing a unique checkout experience while reducing customer service requests. “We want our customers to feel comfortable that their gifts will arrive on time by providing them accurate delivery dates,” said Gong. “Bigcommerce’s API allows us to provide accurate information and a better customer experience.”

Solutions

Now in its fourth year, Man Crates has transformed its modest, two-man operation into a thriving business with dozens of employees and fulfillment centers on both coasts. Looking forward, Man Crates expects to achieve even greater success as it continues investing in its business and the Bigcommerce platform. “Bigcommerce has been an incredible partner for us at Man Crates. We’ve counted on them to provide a reliable and constantly evolving ecommerce platform that allow us to do what we do best — building a fun, irreverent brand that helps make our customers look like rock stars when they give our gifts.”

Results

For more information bigcommerce.com/enterprise

“Operational execution is mission critical for us, and Bigcommerce was

great for delivering exactly what it said it would.”— Sam Gong