Poundstretcher has been a household name for decades, a staple of the UK high street trusted by millions of shoppers. Like many long-standing retailers, they recognised that their digital experience no longer reflected the strength, scale or personality of their brand.
Today, we are proud to announce that Poundstretcher has successfully replatformed to Shopify with Williams Commerce as their delivery partner. The result is a fresher, faster and significantly more secure online presence that sets a strong foundation for their next chapter.
For any retailer whose website no longer matches who they are in the market, Poundstretcher’s journey offers a powerful example of what is possible.
When Your Platform Stops Reflecting Your Brand
Poundstretcher’s previous site was running on a Magento1 framework. Once a market leading solution, it had reached the end of its life. It was outdated visually, restrictive for staff to maintain and no longer met modern security expectations for a national retailer.
The leadership team knew the brand deserved better. They wanted a clean, modern website that brought their product ranges to life and offered customers a friction free way to explore everything Poundstretcher offers.
A Human First Approach to a Technical Transformation
The project began exactly how it should. With people.
An in-person discovery session with the Williams Commerce Project Team and Poundstretcher’s eCommerce and Marketing people ensured both teams were aligned on Poundstretcher’s priorities, their commercial model and the behaviour of their customers. This upfront clarity meant every technical decision served a real business need rather than assumptions.
From there, we focused on using the best of Shopify’s native strengths. Shopify excels when you lean into the platform. It is fast, stable, secure and purpose built for retailers who want simplicity and reliability.
The only bespoke requirement was shaping the site to operate as a high-quality catalogue rather than a transactional store, giving Poundstretcher exactly the structure they wanted without unnecessary complexity.
Williams Commerce Project Lead Amanda Matthews says.
“What made this project stand out was the opportunity to replace an ageing codebase with a clean Shopify architecture that will support Poundstretcher for years ahead. We focused heavily on performance, scalability and simplifying the management of their catalogue and store information. The result is a platform that finally matches the ambition of the brand and gives them the confidence to build on it without the barriers they faced before.”
Bringing Stores and Digital Together with an Improved Store Locator
Poundstretcher’s physical estate remains a vital part of their brand. Stores are opening regularly, footfall continues to be strong and their in-store experience remains central to who they are.
The Store Locator therefore became a key feature of the new site. We implemented a modern Shopify compatible app that makes store discovery easier, maintains the simplicity of the previous version and provides far more flexibility for future updates.
This is a perfect example of Shopify supporting a realistic omnichannel journey rather than trying to replace it.
Immediate Gains: Faster, Safer and Easier to Manage
The move to Shopify delivered substantial improvements from day one.
Speed: Pages now load with the speed customers expect, thanks to Shopify’s optimised infrastructure.
Control: The Poundstretcher team can finally edit their site easily. No more outdated content because of technical barriers.
Modern Content: The blog is now integrated into Shopify, replacing an old WordPress install full of stale content they could no longer access.
Design: Customers now enjoy a cleaner, clearer, more modern user experience. Product pages are focused and effortless to navigate.
Smart Automation: Poundstretcher now make intelligent use of Shopify’s built in features, including AI and a 99p smart filter that removes the need for manual updates. They also adopted Altera, a free and smarter alternative to Matrixify, cutting operational cost without compromising capability.
These improvements create a stronger, more resilient digital foundation that reflects where Poundstretcher is heading, not where they used to be.
A Modern Brand Deserves a Modern Platform
Every project has challenges, and many arise from internal processes rather than the technology. What matters is that Poundstretcher now has a platform that supports their ambitions. The new Shopify build is cleaner, faster and far easier to evolve, giving Poundstretcher a digital presence fitting of a major retail name.
This launch is proof that moving on from an outdated platform is not just a technical choice, it is a strategic one. Shopify gives established brands the modern infrastructure, flexibility and reliability they need to thrive.
Considering Shopify for Your Next Move?
If your current platform is holding you back, Poundstretcher’s story is a prime example of what happens when a retailer upgrades to technology that matches their brand and their ambition.
Williams Commerce would be delighted to help you explore what a Shopify migration could unlock for your business.
Book a consultation with our team at [email protected]
