Gallo: Replatforming from Magento 2 to Shopify Plus

The Client

Gallo 1927 is an Italian fashion icon founded in Milan in 1927, a global benchmark for high-quality hosiery production. The company, which moved its headquarters to Desenzano del Garda in the late 1930s, where its historic factory is still located today, revolutionized the concept of socks, transforming them from a simple functional accessory into an element of style and personal expression.

Gallo's offering spans a wide and structured catalog that includes socks, apparel, small leather goods, accessories, and swimwear for men, women, and children. Iconic collections like Multicolor, Classici, Windsor, Twin Rib, Pois, and Tailoring, tell the story of a brand that combines sartorial elegance with contemporary creativity. Gallo also boasts prestigious collaborations with entities such as FIAT Topolino at Design Week, Augustus Hotel & Resort, Jovanotti, and many other international figures.

Website: www.gallo1927.com

The Challenge

Gallo operated on a Magento 2 platform which, while having supported the brand's digital evolution, presented increasing complexities in terms of management, scalability, and operating costs. The need was clear: to perform a complete replatforming to Shopify Plus with a redesign of the digital experience, preserving the brand's premium identity and managing the complexity of an international catalog with thousands of items.

Existing Platform Critical Issues

• Total Cost of Ownership: Magento 2 required significant resources for hosting, maintenance, security updates, and server infrastructure management.
• Articulated and multilingual catalog: thousands of products with complex attributes, multiple variations for size and color, translations into multiple languages, and management of international markets with different currencies.
• Complex CMS structure: institutional pages, blog, editorial content, and landing pages built with a custom CMS, requiring complete rebuilding.
• Layered third-party integrations: system integration with external management software, customer service tools, marketing automation, and analytics to be migrated or reconfigured.
• Consolidated SEO to preserve: organic positioning built over time on hundreds of URLs, with redirect structures and meta information to be transferred without traffic loss.
• Multi-market management: international markets with different currencies, shipping profiles, and free shipping thresholds by geographical area.
• Outdated user experience: need for a UI refresh that reflects the premium positioning and iconic visual identity of the brand.

Objectives

1. Migrate the entire e-commerce ecosystem from Magento 2 to Shopify Plus without data loss or operational interruptions.
2. Redesign the digital experience with aesthetics consistent with the brand's iconic identity and its multicolor collections.
3. Preserve and optimize the SEO positioning built over time.
4. Configure multi-market management with localized currencies, shipping, and content.
5. Integrate third-party tools for customer service, analytics, marketing, and management.
6. Ensure a secure launch through a planned and tested cutover strategy.
7. Empower the Gallo team to independently manage daily catalog and operations.

The Hoculus Solution

The project was structured into coordinated macro-phases, with an approach that combined strategy, in-depth analysis, technical execution, and consulting support on every aspect of the replatforming.

1. Discovery and Strategy

The first phase involved an in-depth analysis of the Magento 2 platform and the definition of the project roadmap.

• Requirements and objectives gathering: initial workshop with Gallo stakeholders to define project priorities, critical functionalities, and constraints.
• Kick-Off meeting: structured project initiation session with alignment between the Hoculus team, the Gallo team, and technology partners.
• CMS structure analysis: complete mapping of the Magento content architecture such as pages, CMS blocks, templates, and navigation logic, to plan the reconstruction on Shopify.
• Theme code analysis: in-depth study of the selected theme as the basis for development, evaluating customization possibilities and structural limitations.
• Access request and priorities: detailed breakdown of necessary access to existing platforms (Magento, ERP, analytics, DNS) to ensure a smooth migration process.
• Discovery with System Integrator: dedicated technical session with specialized system integrators to understand data synchronization flows between ERP and e-commerce and define the integration strategy on Shopify.
• Project Gantt creation: definition of a detailed temporal roadmap with milestones, dependencies, and critical path.

2. UX/UI Design and Restyling

The redesign represented a central pillar of the project, aiming to translate Gallo's iconic identity (multicolored stripes, sartorial elegance, creativity) into a digital experience befitting the brand.

• Moodboard and Look & Feel definition: creation of visual inspiration boards with chromatic, typographic, and stylistic references that reflected the brand's DNA.
• Theme identification and proposal: research and evaluation of Shopify themes compatible with project requirements, with comparative presentation to the client.
• Information architecture: redefinition of the navigation structure, purchase funnel, and user paths to enhance the catalog and optimize conversion.
• Low-fidelity prototype: prototyping of core pages (Home, PLP, PDP, Cart) to validate the information structure and interaction flows before visual development.
• Theme customization and design: development of the definitive design on all store pages, with graphic customizations including exclusive background patterns, hero banners with overlays, featured collection sections with autoplay, multitile and dual tiles layouts, and a multi-market announcement bar system.

3. Data Migration

The migration from Magento 2 to Shopify Plus represented the technical core of the project, managed through the development of dedicated automations and a rigorous process of transformation, import, and verification.

Setup and Automations

• Data structure setup: definition and configuration of metafields, taxonomies, and data structures on Shopify to accommodate complex attributes from Magento.
• Development of transfer automations: creation of automated pipelines for extracting, transforming, and importing all types of entities such as products, attributes, categories, orders, customers, and gift cards.

Migrated Entities

• Products: complete catalog migration with variants, attributes, images, SEO metadata, and prices. Aggregation of Magento configurable products into Shopify format, recovery of missing variants, and correction of unimported images.
• Categories and Collections: transfer of Magento categories into Shopify collections, with a switch from manual to smart collections for automated and scalable catalog management.
• Customers: import of customer master data with post-migration verification through checks, feedback, and data reconciliation.
• Orders: transfer of order history with recovery of missing variants and data, management of pending orders, and reconciliation strategy.
• Gift Cards: migration of active gift cards with dedicated automation development and creation of native Shopify gift card product.
• Assets: transfer of images, files, and multimedia resources from the Magento infrastructure.
• Redirects: mass migration of URL redirects, supplemented by manual insertions for core pages, with cross-verification.
• Translations: import of localizations for international markets.
• Entity relationships: reconstruction of cross-sell, up-sell, and product grouping relationships.
• Information not reachable via API: migration with admin scraping of data not accessible through standard Magento APIs.

4. Custom Theme Developments

The project required numerous custom development interventions to adapt the Shopify theme to Gallo's specific business needs and ensure a premium user experience.

Navigation and Layout

• Custom header: development of the mega-menu with visual banners in different navigation sections.
• Multi-market announcement bar: dynamic configuration of the promotional bar with free shipping thresholds differentiated by market and currency.
• Optimized footer: opening external content and legal pages in a new tab.

Product Listing Pages (PLP)

• Advanced filters: implementation of filters for size, color, price, and category with a fluid browsing experience.
• Custom sorting: personalized product sorting system on collection pages, with custom image sorting possibilities.
• Featured Collection with autoplay: development of sections with automatic scrolling of collection cards.
• Rich text and smart collections: customization of text blocks in PLPs, removal of limits on the maximum number of viewable collections, and management of multiple conditions for smart collections.

Product Page (PDP)

• Integrated size guide: size guide system directly accessible on the product page.
• Size selection and accordion fix: optimization of user interaction in variant selection and informational accordion blocks.
• Content Block and SKU reference: personalized informational sections and reference to the item code to ensure direct customer search.
• Item Code Search: implementation of SKU search functionality.

Checkout and Cart

• Billing data entry: integrated system for collecting tax data directly in the checkout flow.
• Additional checkout checkbox: implementation of a custom flag in the checkout process.

Other Customizations

• Customer Account Personalization: redesign of the personal area with dedicated information and functionalities.
• Additional newsletter pop-up fields: enrichment of the subscription form with custom fields for more effective segmentation.
• Automatic language change: automation to set the English language for international customers based on the "Created In" metafield.
• Internal contact form email: configuration of sending to different email addresses by request type.
• Customized Blog: graphic modification of blog articles with support for custom background images in posts.
• Background Pattern: development of custom decorative backgrounds with patterns inspired by the brand's visual identity.

5. E-commerce Configuration

A complete setup of the Shopify Plus ecosystem was performed to support international sales operations.

Payments and Checkout

• Payment methods: configuration of Shopify Payments (credit/debit cards), PayPal, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
• Checkout settings: customization of the purchase flow with customer account configuration and authentication options.

Shipping and Fulfillment

• Shipping profiles and rates: differentiated setup by market with personalized free shipping thresholds.
• Fulfillment locations: configuration of order fulfillment points.
• Tax rules: definition of zones and VAT rates for all active markets.

Multi-Market and Internationalization

• International markets: configuration of markets with localized currencies, languages, and content.
• Collection management by market: catalog organization with differentiated visibility by geographical area.
• Shipping profiles by area: rates and delivery options tailored to the specificities of each market.
• Customer segments: in-depth analysis and configuration of segments for communication personalization, including birthday date segmentation.
• Shopify Flow and Messaging: introduction of automations for managing operational flows and communications.

Catalog and Operations

• Transactional notifications: customization of order confirmation, shipping, and update emails.
• Discounts and promotions: configuration of the discount system, including management via Shopify Launchpad for scheduling automatic price reductions.
• Native Shopify Plus apps: installation and configuration of apps included in the Plus plan.

6. Integrations and Compliance

A complete ecosystem of tools has been configured to support customer service, marketing, analytics, and regulatory compliance activities.

• Gorgias: integration of the customer service platform with client support for configuration, optimization of widget positioning, and z-index fix on the drawer cart.
• Iubenda: complete integration for cookie policy, privacy policy, and GDPR compliance, with integration of the Shopify Consent API for proper consent functioning.
• Analytics and Heatmap: configuration of behavioral analysis tools to monitor user interactions.
• Wishlist: integration of the custom-developed wishlist functionality with brand look and feel.
• Social Sign-In: configuration of access via Facebook and Google social accounts.
• Newsletter: activation of welcome flows and configuration of the subscription pop-up.
• Privacy checkbox in forms: implementation of privacy consents in contact and subscription forms.

7. SEO and Positioning Preservation

Special attention was dedicated to preserving and optimizing the organic positioning built on Magento over the years.

• Redirect coverage verification: cross-analysis to ensure complete coverage of all indexed URLs, with iterative verification and fix cycles.
• Manual redirects: manual insertion of redirects for core pages not covered by the automated process.
• On-page SEO optimization: control and optimization of title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and content structure on each page.
• Cross-page SEO optimization: verification of internal link consistency, navigation structure, and relationships between pages.
• International SEO: configuration of hreflang tags and URL structures for multilingual markets.
• Crawlability and indexing: optimization of robots.txt, XML sitemap, and indexing directives.
• Meta description compilation: migration and drafting of meta descriptions for all catalog collections.

8. Go-Live and Cutover Strategy

The launch phase was managed with a meticulously planned cutover strategy to minimize risks and ensure a smooth transition from the Magento 2 platform to Shopify Plus.

• Cutover strategy planning: definition of the detailed plan with sequence of operations, responsibilities, checklist, and rollback procedures.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT): structured testing session with the Gallo team for validation of all functionalities before launch.
• Execution of test orders: setup of test mode and simulation of end-to-end orders to verify the entire purchase, payment, and fulfillment flow.
• Launch Check: complete verification using ad-hoc checklists for Plus store launch.
• Configuration control: final review of all store settings according to Shopify documentation.
• Internal pre-go-live meeting: final alignment of the Hoculus team on launch procedures.
• Pre-delivery call: briefing with the Gallo team on go-live operations and timelines.
• Domain authentication: configuration of CNAME and DMARC records for domain and email authentication.
• Ownership transfer: transfer of Shopify store ownership to the Gallo team.
• Pending data synchronization: final alignment of data (orders, customers, inventory) between Magento and Shopify immediately before the switch.
• Inventory zeroing: inventory reset in preparation for synchronization with the management system.
• Pending order strategy: definition of the procedure for managing pending orders during the transition.
• Cutover execution: execution of the switch plan with activation of the new store.
• Online store preferences: final configuration of publishing and visibility settings.
• Resend sitemap: immediate resubmission of the sitemap to Google after launch.

9. Post-Launch and Stabilization

After the go-live, the Hoculus team ensured constant monitoring for store stabilization and timely resolution of emerging critical issues.

10. Training and Operational Autonomy

To ensure the Gallo team has full autonomy in daily store management:

• Catalog management and product import: dedicated sessions on procedures for creating, updating, and mass importing products and collections.
• Promotion and launch scheduling: training on planning tools for automated management of discounts, promotions, and collection launches.
• Collection organization and navigation: support for the team in the logic of catalog structuring, configuring automatic collections, and defining navigation paths.

Results

The project led to a complete transformation of Gallo 1927's digital presence:

• Complete migration from Magento 2 to Shopify Plus: all products, collections, customers, orders, gift cards, and content were successfully transferred, with dedicated automations developed for each entity type and complete data reconciliation.

• Renewed and premium user experience: the new design reflects the brand's iconic identity, from multicolor stripes to sartorial elegance, with a contemporary, high-performing interface optimized for conversion on all devices.

• Operational multi-market management: international markets configured with localized currencies, languages, shipping profiles, and content, thanks to native Shopify Plus functionalities and developed customizations.

• SEO preserved and optimized: careful management of redirects, meta description compilation, on-page and international optimization minimized the impact of migration on organic rankings.

• Integrated ecosystem: Gorgias for customer service, Iubenda for compliance, analytics for monitoring — all operational tools were integrated and configured in the store.

• Scalable catalog: the transition to smart collections, the advanced filter system, and CSV management give the Gallo team full autonomy and flexibility in managing a catalog with thousands of items.

• Autonomous team: training sessions on products, collections, Launchpad, and CSV made the Gallo team completely independent in daily store operations.

• Secure and controlled launch: the planned cutover strategy, structured UAT, end-to-end tests, and post-launch monitoring ensured a transition without significant operational interruptions.