ServicesShopify Development

Shopify Development

Playceholdr is a Shopify development agency working with ecommerce brands and retailers across New Zealand and Australia.

We design and build Shopify stores ranging from streamlined launches for growing brands through to fully bespoke Shopify and Shopify Plus builds with custom functionality, complex integrations and more involved ecommerce requirements.

Whether you’re starting fresh, redesigning an existing store or moving from another ecommerce platform, we build around what your business actually needs.

If it’s difficult, we’re interested.

Shopify development work by PlayceholdrShopify Development
Overview

Custom Shopify development, built around how you actually sell

A good Shopify store should make your business easier to run, not give your team another system to work around.

We start by understanding how you sell. That means looking at your catalogue, product structure, merchandising, inventory, customer journeys and any processes your team is currently handling manually.

From there, we work out where Shopify already does the job well and where custom development will genuinely make a difference. That could mean a bespoke Shopify theme, custom sections, specialised product functionality, integrations or a more considered way of structuring the store behind the scenes.

We also build with the people managing the website in mind. Flexible sections and reusable content blocks mean your marketing or ecommerce team can create landing pages, update content, launch campaigns and change merchandising without needing a developer every time something moves.

And when something does require custom development, the underlying store is built cleanly enough that it can be extended without having to untangle years of workarounds first.

On the front end, we develop closely against the approved design. The spacing, responsive behaviour and interactions that make a design work should still be there when the site goes live.

Approach

A Shopify development process you can plan a launch around

Every Shopify project starts with understanding the business before we start building.

We work through your products, customer journeys, integrations, existing systems and technical requirements, then turn that into a clear solution architecture, scope and delivery plan. The aim is to make the important decisions early, rather than discovering them halfway through development.

From there, design and development move through reviewable stages so your team can see the store taking shape and provide feedback as we go.

Testing happens throughout the project. Before launch, we check the site across devices and browsers, test key customer journeys and checkout, and make sure analytics and tracking are working as expected.

For Shopify migrations, we also plan URL mapping, redirects and the technical SEO work needed to protect existing search visibility.

Once the site is live, we provide handover and documentation so your team knows how to use what we’ve built.

Platform

Shopify development that can grow with your business

Not every business needs Shopify Plus or a heavily customised build from day one.

For newer and growing brands, the right solution might be a well-designed Shopify store built on a strong theme foundation, with enough flexibility to evolve as the business grows.

For established brands with more complex requirements, we build fully custom Shopify and Shopify Plus stores with bespoke functionality, advanced B2B, systems integrations, custom apps and more involved product or merchandising requirements.

The important part is choosing the right level of complexity.

We would rather build a simpler Shopify solution properly than sell you functionality you do not need. Where a business does have requirements that justify the enterprise tier, our Shopify Plus development work covers that decision in more depth.

The same applies to apps and integrations. Where Shopify or an existing app already solves the problem properly, we use it. Where it doesn’t, we can build the custom functionality around it.

Support

Shopify support and optimisation after launch

A Shopify store rarely stops changing once it launches.

We continue working with brands on new features, conversion improvements, integrations, performance and the ongoing technical work that comes with running an ecommerce business.

For smaller changes to an existing store, prepaid Shopify design and development hours are also available without the need to scope a full project. See ongoing ecommerce support.

This can cover anything from new sections and landing pages through to theme improvements, app integrations and more involved development.

Experience

Shopify development experience across bespoke builds, migrations and complex ecommerce

Shopify has moved well beyond smaller DTC stores. It now supports some of the region’s largest retailers and increasingly complex, multi-market ecommerce operations including Kathmandu, Culture Kings and JB Hi-Fi .

Selected Shopify development projects

Our Shopify work spans bespoke storefront builds, Shopify Plus, platform migrations and systems integration.

For Arcina Ori, we designed and developed a full Shopify Plus website for the Sydney fashion brand, combining ecommerce UX and UI with a bespoke storefront built to support continued growth.

For Micro Scooters, we delivered a Shopify Plus solution integrated with NetSuite, connecting ecommerce, customer accounts, inventory and order management in a single system.

For Harlequin Kids, we delivered a Magento to Shopify migration, moving the business onto Shopify while preserving important URLs, historical order data and existing SEO equity.

Different projects need different levels of technology. Our approach is to solve the requirement cleanly today without making the store harder to operate or extend tomorrow.

For more on how we compare to other options in the market, see our write-up on the best Shopify agencies in New Zealand.

Shopify development capabilities

Custom Shopify development

Bespoke Shopify themes, sections and functionality built around how your business needs to operate.

Shopify theme development

Custom themes built from an approved design, or careful extension of an existing theme without making it difficult to maintain.

Shopify redesigns and rebuilds

UX and UI redesigns, theme rebuilds and storefront improvements for Shopify stores that have become restrictive, difficult to manage or ready for the next stage of growth.

Shopify Plus development

Shopify Plus builds for brands with more advanced requirements across B2B, checkout, international ecommerce and custom functionality. See our Shopify Plus development work.

Complex Shopify commerce

B2B, international ecommerce and other more involved Shopify requirements built around the needs of the business. See our dedicated B2B ecommerce work.

Shopify integrations and ERP

ERP, 3PL, PIM, POS, subscription, loyalty and other business systems connected properly to Shopify.

Shopify migrations and replatforming

Magento, WooCommerce and other ecommerce platforms migrated to Shopify with products, customers, orders, URL redirects and SEO considerations accounted for. See our Shopify migration services.

Custom Shopify apps and functionality

Custom apps, middleware and integrations where Shopify’s native features or existing apps do not properly solve the requirement.

Looking for a Shopify development partner?

Get in touch

You might be launching your first serious Shopify store, redesigning one that has become difficult to manage, or planning a more complex migration or systems integration project.

Either way, the first step is understanding what the business actually needs.

Tell us about your project.