How Flowout helped Backbone migrate to a full Shopify build

The challenge

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Backbone ran a headless Shopify setup. Only the checkout was on Shopify, while all front-end pages ran on a separate custom CMS. Backbone wanted to move the entire site to native Shopify. The project needed to:

• Migrate the full front end from the custom CMS onto Shopify
• Rebuild pages using Shopify's native component language, structured into reusable blocks
• Carry over localization across 10-12 languages
• Extend checkout with subscription upsell and connect the site to marketing and event tracking tools

Our approach

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We began by building a component system in Shopify's native language, so pages could be assembled from consistent, reusable blocks.

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Partway through, Backbone shifted from a straight migration to a full redesign. We adapted the plan quickly to keep the project moving without losing the progress already made on the component system.

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Localization added another layer of work. There was no tool or systematic way to move 10-12 languages into the new component structure, so this had to be done manually, page by page.

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Beyond the migration itself, we built a custom Extension-only app to handle subscription upsells at checkout, connected the site to OneSignal in place of Klaviyo, and set up Shopify Flows to send event data through API for triggers like Purchase, Add to cart, and Product view.