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Freya Simonne and her husband Shaun are the founders of Shaun Oliver, a luxury bespoke tailoring brand based just outside of London. Despite running a highly successful modern retail business, their approach to creating a website breaks almost all the conventional rules of eCommerce. Here, Freya shares why intentionally leaving a checkout cart off their website became their most profitable business decision.
For most online retailers, building an eCommerce site is all about getting customers through the checkout as quickly as possible. But we decided to play by different rules.
Visit our website and you won’t find a single product for sale. Well, that’s not entirely true, because we do offer gift cards. But those aside, there’s nothing you can buy.
I know. It sounds counter-intuitive, especially when there are so many types of websites out there designed to generate sales. But, for a bespoke high-end brand like ours, I believe a website’s goal shouldn’t be to sell a product, but rather, to sell an experience. After all, when your craft relies on a customer feeling the garments and being measured by hand, the final sale belongs in the shop, not on a checkout page.
So, here’s why we intentionally left eCommerce off our site and how ignoring the typical rules for how to create a website actually helped us build a far more profitable business.
How our brand was born
To understand our digital strategy, you have to understand how we built our physical store.
Not long ago, my husband, Shaun and I had been working on our own separate businesses. I was running Freya Simonne, focusing on the upcycling of vintage textiles, while Shaun was building his own tailoring brand having learned his trade on London’s world-renowned Savile Row. We had toyed with the idea of opening a joint space for a while, but it was more of a blue-sky idea than anything else.
Then, a shop space became available on our local high street in Berkhamsted, just 30 minutes outside London. It had a beautiful old shop front, but inside it was completely derelict. I’m not exaggerating in saying there wasn’t even a floor.
Still, because we’re very much “you only live once” people who believe you never regret the things you try, we took a deep breath and signed the lease. It was a wild leap of faith into entrepreneurship, but we decided to merge our two worlds into one single brand. That’s when Shaun Oliver was born.
We spent the following months on a massive DIY renovation, building out a store with a workshop in the back. The goal was to launch the brand, the physical store and the website all on the same day.
Because we were doing so much heavy lifting with the shop itself, being able to quickly build and customize the website on Wix without any technical headaches made hitting that triple-deadline actually possible.
There were a lot of uncertainties, but one thing we knew right away was that we were offering something that couldn't be boxed up and shipped out with a couple of clicks.
We were creating something different.
Luxury doesn't need to over-explain itself
Today, every piece we design embodies our shared philosophy: an unwavering dedication to quality, authenticity and timeless style. We aren’t creating standardized garments for average body shapes; we start with the individual.
As I like to say, when you buy something from us, it's a lifelong partnership. If you put on weight, you come in and we let it out. If you lose weight, you come in and we take it in. If a piece needs pressing, that’s all part of the service. It’s the X-factor we offer in a world where so many people treat their clothing as disposable.
Because of this, our brand has to feel authentic and intensely personal. Luxury doesn't need to over-explain itself with ‘salesy’ copy or flashy pop-ups. It relies on quiet confidence and plenty of breathing room. That philosophy dictates everything—from how we speak to our clients to how we design our website.
Related: How to make a website to sell
Translating Savile Row to a screen
When you step into our physical store, the first thing you’ll notice is the space. We only have about seven pieces of clothing on each rail and just two display shelves. The layout is minimal and deeply intentional.
When I was designing our website with Wix, my primary goal was to make sure the digital experience mirrored our in-store vibe. We used the same colors as our shop front. Instead of crowded product catalog pages, we use clean Lookbooks with professionally shot photographs.
Overall, I think we’ve managed to make the website look and feel like our store: quiet and aesthetically uncompromising.
The £0 checkout that drives our revenue
So, you might ask: if we aren't selling clothes online, how are we capturing customers?
The truth is, a lot of it comes down to a single and simple “Request an Appointment” page. Once people have looked at our services and flipped through the Lookbooks, booking an appointment is the next logical step.
The appointment form is just a couple of simple boxes, but it acts as an incredibly effective high-ticket conversion funnel. We get all sorts of inquiries through it—from a simple one-line inquiry to heartfelt stories from people saying they’ve been looking for a specific style of dress for years.
By removing the option to just “buy now,” we force a conversation.
Our marketing strategy to drive those conversations is entirely organic. Instagram is our primary funnel (we transitioned my previous brand's followers directly to Shaun Oliver, and we link them straight to this landing page). We also lean heavily on local SEO through Google Maps for foot traffic and a weekly email newsletter to nurture our community.
I honestly didn't expect to get as many inquiries as we do, but because it’s the main point of contact, it works brilliantly. And once someone actually has an appointment in the diary, it’s rare that it doesn't progress to a sale.
We also monitor our Wix Analytics to see who’s filling out the form. It showed us that we’re getting consistent traffic from people overseas, in the U.S. and Europe. Based on that data, we’re now planning international trunk shows, taking our brand to hotel rooms in New York to meet some of those site visitors in person.
Read also: The 10 best eCommerce website builders to get your online business up and running
My playbook for taking a high-end brand online
If you’re like me, the traditional eCommerce playbook may not work for you or your business. Instead, you might find these tips more helpful for your website, especially if you're building a bespoke or luxury brand.
01. Don't force a checkout
It’s tempting to create a simplified, "off-the-rack" version of your product just so you have something to sell online. But don't do it.
If people come to you for custom, made-to-measure craftsmanship, selling a generic version on your website will only water down your brand's reputation. Protect what makes you special.
02. Let imagery do the heavy lifting
At a luxury price point, imagery is everything. Invest in professional photography. If a customer is going to spend tons of money, the first visual impression has to justify the price tag instantly.
Create high-quality images quickly and cost-effectively with the Wix AI Image Creator
03. Use contact forms as icebreakers
Our appointment form isn't just for logistics; it’s an icebreaker. Let your customers tell you what they want. Also, always include a newsletter subscription tick-box on these forms. It’s a good way to capture leads even if they aren't ready to buy today.
We created our form using Wix’s free online form builder. It lets you create yours using AI, a template or from scratch and then edit, publish and manage responses in one place.
04. Sell your credentials
In a world full of copycats, authenticity wins. People want to know they’re in safe hands. When we mention my fashion design experience and that Shaun is a Savile Row tailor, it establishes immediate trust. Give your story the space it deserves in a strong About section.
05. Ignore vanity metrics
When you don't have an online checkout, it's easy to look for validation in social media likes. But for us, our website’s appointment form is the only metric that actually matters.
As long as your social content is authentic and drives traffic directly to a page that counts, you’re winning.
Why going online doesn't mean abandoning tradition
We’re living in a digital world, but I think the pendulum is starting to swing back. Many people are actively seeking out in-person experiences again. They want to come into a physical store, feel the weight of the fabric, try the garments on and talk to the people who are actually making their clothes.
You simply cannot put that in an online shopping basket.
By keeping our website minimal and focused solely on generating appointments, we protect the integrity of our craft. We use our site to start the conversation, but we close the sale where it belongs: in store.
And for a small family business trying to build a legacy, that has proven to be the most profitable strategy of all.
