eCommerce website case study
Rebuilding a high-traffic website for speed, stability and scale
Safestyle needed more than a visual refresh. Its existing platform was slow, costly and struggling to support growth. We engineered a modern, high-performance solution built to handle complexity at scale.
Quick look
✅ New, modern frontend architecture
✅ Flexible data delivery solution
✅ Optimised for scale and performance
✅ Delivered in 12 months despite client acquisition
Project profile
The client
Safestyle
Safestyle is a major home improvement brand specialising in windows, doors and roofing products. Founded in 1992, the brand is now part of leading UK firm Anglian Home Improvements.
High-traffic, business-critical website
Complex product and pricing structures
Enterprise-level performance requirements
The problem
A slow, costly platform holding back performance
From humble beginnings in 1992, Safestyle had become a major player in the UK home improvement market – with a business-critical, high-traffic eCommerce website to match.
However, Safestyle's website was no longer fit for purpose. Key challenges included:
- Slow performance impacting user experience and conversions
- High maintenance overheads
- Difficulties managing and updating content
- A backend that struggled to support complex data requirements
For a business with a nationwide eCommerce presence, these weren't minor inconveniences. They were serious blockers to growth.
Our solution
A modern, high-performance architecture built for scale
Slow, outdated frontend limiting performance
Modern frontend architecture, harnessing:
Vue.js framework for a fast, responsive, mobile-first UX
Lightweight, performance-driven design principles
Optimised rendering for high-traffic environments
Complex data requirements with no off-the-shelf solution
Flexible data delivery layer, using:
Craft CMS for user-friendly content management
GraphQL to handle complex, dynamic data queries
Structured approach to ensure easy updates and long-term maintenance
Strict performance and scalability requirements
Optimised infrastructure and caching, including:
Cloudflare caching to reduce load times and server strain
Efficient data handling to maximise speed at scale
Built with stability and resilience as core priorities
Project timeline
Discovery and architectural planning
Frontend framework (Vue.js) chosen and implemented
Core development and integration
Performance optimisation and testing
Pre-launch phase
Project paused due to acquisition
Post-acquisition review and technical assessment
Successful launch
Roadblock…
Just weeks before launch, the project hit an unexpected hurdle: Safestyle was acquired, and development was paused.
…Averted
The acquisition risked derailing the project. However, the strength of our technical foundations proved its value.
Following a full assessment, the acquiring company approved the build. The project moved forward to a successful launch just three months later.
This wasn't a quick fix. It was a full-scale rebuild designed for long-term performance – and the results were right on the mark.
Fast and responsive
mobile-friendly website
Scalable architecture
with high traffic capabilities
Flexible CMS setup
for easy updates and low maintenance
Future-proof platform
built to scale with the business
Get in touch
Need a platform that can handle real scale?
When you're operating at scale, there's no room for shortcuts.
We helped Safestyle build a platform that could handle complexity, reduce operational strain and help it deliver on long-term goals. It was a custom-fit solution – built for the future, as well as the now.
We can do the same for you. Get in touch with our experts and we'll start crafting a high-performance, future-proof solution tailored to your business.
