Nudient’s E-Commerce Journey: From Shopify to Centra and Back Again
Apr 20, 2025
By [stroem]
In the competitive world of e-commerce, few stories highlight the growing pains and learning curves of scaling internationally as clearly as Nudient’s.
Launched in 2016 by three childhood friends, Nudient started as a sleek on-the-go lifestyle brand, with a mission to protect your essentials while on the move. Their hero product? A thin, minimalist mobile phone case that blends protection with design, quickly becoming a statement accessory for style-conscious users.
But Nudient didn’t stop there. Their vision was always bigger: to expand into a broader range of on-the-go accessories—think travel, commuting, and life in motion.
Mobile Cases as Style Statements
From the start, Nudient understood something many early e-commerce brands missed: phone cases are more than just protection—they’re fashion. This made branding, design, and aesthetics crucial. Their early marketing leaned heavily on social and paid social channels, quickly making them one of the second wave of successful D2C brands in Sweden.
As the company grew and international demand increased, their tech stack began to show limitations.
Founded | 2016 |
Origin | A Swedish design-driven tech & travel brand (Premium Phone Cases & Travel Accessories) with global ambitions and undeniable edge. |
Founders | Max Andersson, Pontus Krusing, Vidar Sjöqvist. |
Core identity | Great design should complement your journey, not complicate it. |
Ideal customer | Stylish people on the move—modern minimalists who value aesthetics as much as functionality. |
Commercial trajectory & success | Founded in 2016 by childhood friends, officially registered in 2019. After expanding into DACH, the UK, and the Netherlands in 2021, the company reached SEK 85 million in revenue—a 130% increase from 2020—raising SEK 13 million from investors including the founders of The Humble Co. and Stronger. Despite remaining profitable through pandemic challenges, growth slowed to +5.5% in 2022 and +2.9% in 2023, well below the original 2023 target of SEK 150 million. The year brought layoffs and the closure of Nudient’s U.S. subsidiary, despite strong U.S. sales of over SEK 10 million, as part of a move to streamline operations. A bright spot was Nudient’s successful collaboration with Mattel for the Barbie movie launch, featuring multiple product drops and a major event. Looking ahead, a re-platforming and brand refresh is in progress for 2024–2025, as the company continues to pursue its long-term goal of SEK 1 billion in revenue, powered by new product launches (Bold Luggage), a refined marketing strategy and focus on e-com and wholesale. |
Headquarters & flagship | Based in Stockholm, no flagship store (so far). |
Tech stack (brief) | Shopify Plus, the site offers humble payment options, and likely uses Klaviyo for marketing and Gorgias for customer support. |
Iconic pieces (in my humble opinion) | Chery Red Thin Case 🍒 |
Surpring fact | Having Jesper Ståhl—a multi-award-winning designer with a signature blend of Scandinavian elegance and innovation—design for Nudient adds serious design credibility and next-level cool. |
The Tech Journey
Nudient initially launched on Shopify, the go-to platform for many early-stage D2C brands. But after three years, as the team started scaling across Scandinavia, DACH, and the UK, they hit a wall. They needed localized pricing, currencies, and content, and at the time, Shopify didn't offer the robust localization tools that were required.
Another key focus for Nudient was TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)—the full cost of keeping an e-commerce store not just running, but growing. TCO is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, factors when choosing or maintaining an e-commerce tech stack. It goes far beyond just the platform fees or developer invoices. It includes every direct and indirect cost tied to operating the store, from maintenance and integrations to lost opportunities. Poor decisions in this area can quickly eat away at profitability, making it crucial to get it right from the start.
Enter Centra
Between 2019–2022, Centra was buzzing—especially among fashion and lifestyle brands. With promises of headless flexibility, advanced customizations, and seamless internationalization, it seemed like the right step. So Nudient made the leap. What followed, however, was a cautionary tale in TCO.
It took six to nine months to deploy the new site, followed by over a year of bug fixing after launch. The team had built a completely custom PayPal checkout, which eventually led to site crashes on weekends. With no native SEO structure, Nudient lost most of its hard-earned search visibility the moment the new site went live. There was also no integration with Klaviyo, their go-to email marketing tool—adding it would have required a costly custom build. On top of that, the platform demanded constant maintenance, pulling focus away from business growth.
Eventually, an agency gave Nudient two choices: re-platform entirely or redesign the existing site (to keep Centra) for three times the cost.
The Return to Shopify – But Smarter This Time
After considering their options, Nudient turned back to evolved Shopify—this time with a clearer understanding of their needs and with a stronger ecosystem in place. With tools like Shopify Markets, multi-inventory management, and plug-and-play native integrations, Nudient could now build one global store, with deeply localized experiences (currencies, languages, content) baked in.
They partnered with Woolman, a leading Shopify Plus agency based in Finland, with experience helping brands transition away from heavy, custom-built platforms to more scalable solutions.
Nudient now operates from a single Shopify store that serves all markets, with localisation managed through Shopify Markets. They use Translate & Adapt to handle multilingual content, and Search & Discovery to optimize cross-selling and upselling opportunities. SEO capabilities are built directly into the platform, ensuring better visibility from day one. For email marketing automation, Nudient relies on Klaviyo, while Gorgias powers their customer support experience.
Their new Shopify site is built using Woolman’s Taiga theme—a high-performance, modular theme available on the Shopify Theme Store for €490, with an unlimited free trial. Naturally, the theme was adapted and customized to fit Nudient’s specific needs.
So far, the UK market is performing especially well, thanks to Shop Pay and a solid Shopify-native setup. The DACH region and the U.S. are also experiencing steady growth, while other markets have stabilized within six weeks of the new platform launch. Most importantly, Nudient can now focus on improving and growing the business—rather than getting bogged down in technical fixes.
Nudient Website Review: A Desktop Shopping Experience
Nudient primarily operates through its own e-commerce platform and a selection of retail partners. In this review, I explored Nudient's website on desktop to experience the full visual design, user journey, and navigation structure.
Homepage Experience
Navigating Nudient’s homepage is straightforward and intuitive. When you enter the site, your IP address automatically sets the correct region and currency, but you’re also given the option to manually choose your preferred country and language—a small detail that greatly enhances the user experience.
The full-width hero slider instantly grabs attention, showcasing the latest SS25 collection and the exciting launch of Bold Luggage, Nudient’s much-anticipated expansion into travel accessories. (Smart move: Nudient cleverly built anticipation by offering a waiting list ahead of the luggage launch.)
Further down, key USPs like free shipping and a generous return policy are prominently displayed, followed by a clean presentation of the four main product categories. Against a minimal beige and light grey background, Nudient effectively repeats its brand story and value propositions—an important tactic, especially for first-time visitors building trust with the brand.
Navigation and Menu
The navigation setup on Nudient’s site is generally solid, but not without friction. The main menu highlights Nudient’s latest launch, Luggage, followed by core categories like Phone Cases, Screen Protectors, and Archive Sale.
On desktop, Nudient uses a dual navigation system: a classic text menu across the top and a hamburger menu in the top-left corner. While some might view this duplication as unnecessary, I find it a smart way to accommodate different browsing habits.
However, key user experience issues become noticeable.
When clicking into a major product category like Phone Cases, the system forces users into the hamburger menu for filtering, which completely overlays the page. While I understand the intent—it mirrors a mobile-style behavior—it disrupts the desktop flow by making users lose sight of their filtering results.
The inconsistency is even more noticeable because other categories like Screen Protectors and Archive Sale use a traditional integrated filtering system, maintaining a smoother flow. Consistency across categories is crucial for any digital shopping experience, especially for brands positioning themselves as premium.
Another surprising point:
Nudient forces visitors to choose a phone model first, but doesn’t highlight the product collections—their signature Bold and Thin cases—upfront. As their flagship lines and key selling points, the collections deserve to be surfaced early in the browsing experience, not hidden behind model selection.
Category Page and Filter Frictions
While exploring the Archive Sale, I ran into a usability issue: the category page primarily displayed model-specific products, and even after clearing filters—or even manually editing the URL—it kept reverting back to a filtered view. Clearing the cache and testing in incognito mode didn’t resolve the problem.
A similar experience occurred when browsing Screen Protectors, where finding an option to view the full product range was equally challenging.
Interestingly, the Luggage category handled this much better, allowing users to freely explore the entire range without forced filtering—a more intuitive and premium experience that would benefit all categories.
For a brand positioning itself as premium, it’s important to give customers the freedom to browse the full assortment without being locked into narrow filters. Not every shopper arrives knowing exactly which model they want; many browse with multiple potential purchases in mind, whether for themselves, friends, or family.
Sale Strategy
One bold move worth highlighting: While many premium-positioned brands hide or downplay their sale sections, Nudient places Archive Sale prominently in the main menu. This works well given their price points in the mobile accessories space. However, for an even more premium feel in the future, I would suggest introducing Private Sales, visible only to selected customers or loyal subscribers.
Product Pages: Where Nudient Shines
Nudient’s product pages are a true highlight of their e-commerce experience—thoughtfully designed, highly visual, and packed with the right amount of information to guide confident purchase decisions.
The Thin Case product page (example reviewed) perfectly balances minimalistic design with rich storytelling. Key highlights include:
Multiple product images presented in a user-friendly grid, including real-life UGC photos in the "Thin Case in Action" section.
Clear color options with clickable swatches.
A concise, informative product description covering materials, MagSafe compatibility, and precision fit.
Shipping, returns, and FAQ easily accessible without leaving the page.
A designer feature spotlighting award-winning designer Jesper Ståhl, adding credibility and style value.
Smart upselling with phone case + screen protector bundles, with CTAs beautifully integrated into the clean layout.
The flow is smooth and premium, making it easy and enjoyable to move toward checkout.
Nudient also uses a lot of (up to four) smart labels—New, Sale, MagSafe, and Sold Out—directly in product listings. These quick visual cues help customers navigate availability and key features easily, enhancing the modern, dynamic feel of the shop.
Key Takeaways from the Nudient Re-Platforming
Think ecosystem-first: What tools, integrations, and partners will you need?
Calculate your TCO: Platform fees are one thing—but what about maintenance, custom development, bugs?
Use proven solutions: Shopify now powers brands like Daniel Wellington and Gymshark. There’s a reason.
Focus on future-proofing: Shopify has over 5,000 developers contributing to the ecosystem—compare that to smaller players with limited resources.
Avoid building everything from scratch: Native apps and scalable logic > custom codebases.
What’s Next for Nudient
A new travel accessory line launching in SS25.
A B2B re-platforming project on Shopify (also with Woolman).
Deeper investment in brand consistency across website, social, and newsletters.
Continuous expansion and innovation, powered by a scalable and flexible tech foundation.
♡ Like this one? There’s more where that came from. Fashion UX, clever commerce moves, and brand storytelling magic—served fresh every week.
Disclaimer & Sources
This article is based entirely on the author's professional expertise and experience with the Nudient brand and its website. All insights and opinions are independent and are provided solely for informational purposes.
All images featured in this article are publicly available and sourced from Nudient’s official website, unless otherwise noted.
The primary sources referenced include:
Nudient’s official website
Shopify case and Woolman´s portfolio
Public web resources such as Breakit, Di Digital, and Alla Bolag
Reputable third-party tools for website and tech stack analysis
Any trademarks, product names, or brand assets mentioned remain the property of their respective owners.
No affiliation with or endorsement by Nudient is claimed or implied. If you are a rights holder and believe any content has been used inappropriately, please contact us for prompt review and resolution.
