Argoclima: Shopify e-commerce optimization and enhancement

The Client

Argoclima S.p.A. is an Italian company founded in 1929, a benchmark in the residential and commercial air conditioning sector. With its legal headquarters and logistics center in Alfianello (BS) and a production plant in Gallarate (VA), Argoclima is one of the few companies in the sector to maintain entirely Italian production, in a market dominated by international brands.

The company designs, produces, and distributes a wide range of solutions for environmental comfort: portable and fixed air conditioners, monobloc units, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, evaporative coolers, stoves, and fan heaters. Each product is created with a clear objective, summarized in the company payoff "Improve your life": to improve people's daily quality of life through efficient, sustainable, and well-designed solutions.

With a capillary distribution network throughout the national territory, over 500 service centers, and a dedicated pre-sales service for sizing and selecting the ideal product, Argoclima offers a complete support ecosystem — from initial consultation to after-sales assistance.

Online store: shop.argoclima.com

The Challenge

Argoclima had an operational Shopify store based on the Brooklyn theme, a theme classified as "Vintage" by Shopify and stuck on Online Store version 1.0, destined to no longer receive official updates. The e-commerce required a structural intervention to modernize the technical infrastructure and enhance the shopping experience, adapting it to the complexity of the catalog and the expectations of an increasingly demanding audience.

Identified Criticalities

• Obsolete theme: The Brooklyn theme, based on Shopify 1.0, limited customization possibilities and did not support advanced Online Store 2.0 features such as metafields, dynamic sections, and app blocks.
• Limited navigation and product search: Absence of a structured filter system for a heterogeneous catalog ranging from air conditioners to dehumidifiers, from purifiers to stoves, each with specific technical characteristics (BTU/h power, WiFi, outdoor unit).
• Incomplete purchasing logic: Lack of tools for cross-selling, bundles, and service add-ons (such as floor delivery), which are essential for a catalog of bulky and technically complex products.
• Unoptimized cart: Absence of customizable pre-checkout information, invoicing fields, and consent management for data collection.
• Management of out-of-stock products: Out-of-stock products remained visible in the catalog, causing user frustration and dispersing traffic to non-convertible pages.
• Fragmented tracking and analytics: Need to consolidate and modernize the entire tracking stack (transition to GA4, cookie consent configuration, A/B testing).

Objectives

1. Migrate from the Brooklyn theme (Online Store 1.0) to the Dawn theme (Online Store 2.0), ensuring operational continuity and recovery of existing customizations.
2. Implement an advanced filter system based on metafields to allow structured catalog navigation by power, features, WiFi, outdoor unit, and offers.
3. Develop a custom bundle section with automatic discount calculation and management of free products.
4. Create a system of add-ons and additional services on the product page (floor delivery, accessories).
5. Redesign the homepage and key interface elements for performance and conversion.
6. Implement an advanced drawer cart with informational blocks, customizable checkboxes, and invoicing fields.
7. Modernize the entire tracking and analytics ecosystem, with a transition to GA4 and compliant cookie consent management.
8. Ensure regulatory compliance for the sale of fixed air conditioners (F-Gas regulation).

The Hoculus Solution

The project was structured as a path of continuous evolution of the store, with progressive interventions affecting every aspect of the e-commerce, from technical infrastructure to user experience, from sales logic to the analytics ecosystem.

1. Analysis and Strategy

The work began with an in-depth analysis of the e-commerce's status:

• E-commerce overview: Analysis of performance over the last 365 days, products sold, traffic and sources, user behavior flow.
• Key page audit: Critical review of the homepage and product page to identify priority areas for improvement.
• Advanced e-commerce activation: Configuration of advanced e-commerce on Google Analytics to obtain granular data on the purchase funnel.

2. Theme Migration: from Brooklyn to Dawn

The most significant infrastructural intervention was the transition from the Brooklyn theme, now classified as "Vintage" and lacking updates, to the Dawn theme, the Shopify reference theme for Online Store 2.0.

The migration involved:

• Complete installation and configuration of the new Dawn theme with all sections and settings.
• Recovery of cart customizations: Newsletter checkbox linked to the Privacy Policy, customizable blocks for pre-checkout information (invoice request with email, SDI, and VAT number fields), mandatory/optional checkboxes with configurable text and links, all pre-arranged for native translation.
• Title centering: Custom settings for aligning section and page titles.
• Color customization: Global setting for the color of add-to-cart buttons, aligned with the brand's visual identity.
• Mega menu update: Optimized behavior where hovering opens the mega menu and clicking leads directly to destination pages.
• Mobile menu update: Revision of mobile navigation with link control and alignment.

3. Advanced Filter System

For a catalog encompassing very different product categories, from portable air conditioners to dehumidifiers, from air purifiers to stoves, structured navigation is fundamental.

A filter system was implemented using the official Shopify Search & Discovery app, based on custom metafields configured for each product:

• Product type.
• Power: BTU/h for all air conditioners (standard and outlet), lt/24h for dehumidifiers.
• Features: cooling, refreshing, heating (with automatic heat pump detection from the product description), dehumidification, air purification, air humidification, insect repellent.
• Offers: Dedicated filter for all outlet products.
• Outdoor unit: yes/no — portable and monobloc air conditioners do not have an outdoor unit, fixed and split units do.
• WiFi: yes/no — populated with automations based on the presence of the word "WiFi" in the product title.

Metafield configuration was performed manually for the entire catalog, ensuring the correct assignment of values to each individual product.

4. Bundles and Automatic Discounts

One of the most complex and commercially impactful features developed for the store.

Bundle Section

Development of a custom bundle section on the product page, inspired by best practices in consumer electronics e-commerce. The section is fully configurable in the theme:

• List of complementary products can be entered manually or automatically synchronized via metafields.
• Text, colors, and layout customizable from the theme editor.

Bundle Discounts with Automatic Calculation

Upgrade of the bundle section with advanced discount logic:

• Automatic calculation of discounted prices obtained through automatic discounts configured in the Shopify admin.
• Intelligent management of free gifts: gifted products are identified and shown with a dedicated "Gift" badge.
• Display of the total price of the products in the bundle once added to the cart.
• If the discount equals the total price of the product, the price is hidden to show only the gift badge.

A/B Testing of the Bundle

To validate the effectiveness of the bundle section, an A/B testing system was configured:

• Google Optimize Setup: Creation of the main container linked to Google Analytics to manage all tests and reports.
• Test Configuration: Variant with bundle vs. variant without bundle to measure the impact on the conversion rate.
• Update to GA4: Subsequent conversion of the A/B test from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, with a contextual upgrade of the bundle.

5. Add-ons and Additional Services

To meet the specific needs of selling bulky appliances, a system of add-on services was developed on the product page.

Floor Delivery

• Block on the product page with a checkbox for adding the floor delivery service.
• Text and configuration manageable via product metafield.
• Selecting the checkbox automatically adds the corresponding product/service to the cart.
• Differentiated page templates for each add-on configuration, assignable to different products.

Floor Delivery by Weight

Subsequent evolution of the add-on system:

• The floor delivery option is displayed automatically for all products weighing over 40 kg, eliminating the need for dedicated templates.
• Configurable Liquid rule to determine the visibility of the block, allowing customization of the activation logic based on any product parameter.

6. Cart and Checkout Optimization

The cart underwent significant interventions to improve the pre-checkout experience and ensure regulatory compliance.

Drawer Cart with Checkboxes

• Activation of the drawer cart (already present in the Dawn theme) as the main shopping experience.
• Implementation of customizable checkbox blocks with dynamic text, replicating all the features developed for the cart page in the drawer.
• Bug fixes and optimization of dynamic checkboxes to ensure correct functioning in every scenario.

Information and Consents

• Newsletter checkbox with link to the Privacy Policy in the cart.
• Invoice request block with customizable fields (email, SDI, VAT number) and configurable title.
• Mandatory/optional checkboxes with configurable text and links for pre-checkout information.
• Open links in new tab: Informational links in the cart open in a new window to avoid interrupting the purchase flow.

Checkboxes on Contact and Account

• Addition of customizable checkbox blocks on the Contact Us page and the account creation page, with mandatory acceptance of the Privacy Policy.

F-Gas Compliance

• Control and fix of the F-Gas field in fixed air conditioner orders, ensuring the correct collection of mandatory information for the regulation on the management of fluorinated gases.

7. Homepage and Catalog Management

Homepage Restyle

Complete redesign of the homepage with a focus on performance and conversion:

• Optimization of hero elements and main calls-to-action.
• Inclusion of featured categories (portable air conditioners, evaporative coolers, and other seasonal categories).
• Static list of products in the homepage collection section, with automatic logic to hide out-of-stock products and replace them with available ones.

Announcement Bar

• Configuration of the announcement bar in the header with customizations.
• Development of a custom scrolling announcement bar to communicate promotions, free shipping, and seasonal messages with greater visual effectiveness.

Out-of-Stock Product Management

Structural solution for managing out-of-stock products:

• Collection pages: Upon initial loading, the URL is dynamically updated to automatically filter available products. The filter remains active unless the user manually disables it.
• Recommended products: Setting to hide out-of-stock products from the recommended products section on the product page.

8. Analytics, Tracking, and Compliance

Cookie Consent Management

Implementation of a compliant system for consent management:

• Integration of the Iubenda banner for cookie consent collection.
• Data collection begins exclusively after the actual click on consent acceptance.
• Connection between the Iubenda consent system and the Shopify Customer Privacy API to ensure synchronization between consent and tracking.

Google Analytics 4

• Verification and analysis of the GA4 property to ensure correct configuration.
• Conversion of the A/B test from Universal Analytics to GA4 to maintain test continuity after UA's discontinuation.

Google Optimize

• Setup of the main container for centralized management of all A/B tests and their reports, linked to Google Analytics.

Results

The project transformed the Argoclima store from an e-commerce based on an outdated theme to a modern, high-performing platform rich in advanced functionalities:

• Modernized infrastructure: The transition from Brooklyn (Online Store 1.0) to Dawn (Online Store 2.0) equipped the store with an updated technical architecture, compatible with metafields, dynamic sections, and the latest Shopify features.

• Structured navigation experience: The advanced filter system — based on power, features, WiFi, outdoor unit, and offers — allows customers to effectively navigate a large and technically diverse catalog.

• Increased average order value: The bundle section with automatic discounts, gift badges, and validated A/B testing makes it possible to offer complementary product combinations with clear and transparent economic incentives.

• Value-added services: The add-on system for floor delivery — initially template-based, then evolved into an automatic weight-based logic — simplifies the purchase of bulky products and improves the perception of service.

• Optimized cart for conversion: The drawer cart with customizable checkboxes, informational blocks, invoice request, and consent management offers a complete and compliant pre-checkout experience.

• Always up-to-date catalog: Automatic management of out-of-stock products keeps the catalog clean and conversion-oriented, avoiding dead pages and user frustration.

• High-impact homepage: The restyle focused on performance and conversion, with featured categories, a curated product list, and a scrolling announcement bar, guides visitors to the most relevant products.

• Compliant and modern tracking: The transition to GA4, cookie consent management integrated with Iubenda and the Shopify Customer Privacy API, and the setup of Google Optimize ensure a reliable and GDPR-compliant analytics ecosystem.

• Regulatory compliance: Correct management of the F-Gas field in fixed air conditioner orders ensures compliance with current regulations on the sale of fluorinated gas-containing equipment.

Technologies and Tools

Conclusions

With the "Shopify PRO Development" project, Hoculus guided Argoclima through a process of structural evolution of its e-commerce, transforming a store based on an obsolete theme with limited functionalities into a modern, high-performing, and conversion-oriented platform.

The work encompassed every dimension of e-commerce — from theme migration to homepage redesign, from developing a bundle system with automatic discounts to creating a customized filter architecture for a technical and diversified catalog. Each intervention was conceived not as an isolated solution, but as a piece of a coherent growth strategy, validated through A/B testing and continuous performance monitoring.

Argoclima now has a store that reflects the brand's values — technology, design, attention to the environment and the customer — and offers a shopping experience worthy of a company with almost a century of history in Italian home comfort.