Founded in 2008 by Domitille and Angélique Brion, the French brand has made a name for itself with a women’s wardrobe that is refined, durable and timeless. Its sober, coherent universe has built a loyal community in France and abroad.

But to keep pace with this growth, Soeur needed a more agile, high-performance platform. By migrating to Shopify, the brand made a strategic choice: to reinforce its autonomy, improve the shopping experience and lay the foundations for more solid digital development.

Brand background

Since its creation, Soeur has cultivated a strong identity. Its style blends clean lines, a sober color palette and timeless cuts, far removed from the effects of fashion. This consistency has enabled Soeur to build a consistent brand image and attract a loyal clientele in France and abroad.

The brand has also developed a solid omnichannel strategy, with a network of physical boutiques, corners in department stores and an e-shop that plays a central role in its business. Digital is not a secondary channel for Soeur. It’s an essential growth lever and a direct point of contact with its community. This is also what made the question of its e-commerce platform all the more critical.

Why change your e-commerce solution?

Changing e-commerce solutions is not a decision taken lightly. But many brands eventually reach a point where their historical platform – Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, PrestaShop, or a bespoke solution – becomes more of a hindrance than a lever.

The symptoms are often the same:

• technical developments that are too slow,
• constant dependence on a development team,
• high costs for inconspicuous results,
• a customer experience that no longer evolves,
• and integrations that become unstable as the stack becomes more complex.

These limitations can be enough to hold back an ambitious e-commerce strategy, particularly in terms of autonomy, mobile performance or international deployment.

Before and after: what a migration to Shopify means in practice

In plain English

To continue on a platform that has become rigid is to accept a structural slowdown.
For a brand like Soeur, migrating to Shopify allows us to focus on the essentials: offering a fluid experience to our customers, bringing our brand to life, and managing our e-commerce with agility.

Why did Soeur choose Shopify?

Faced with these limitations, Soeur needed a platform capable of supporting its growth. Shopify was the obvious choice for several reasons. The platform combines ease of use for staff with sufficient flexibility to manage a demanding fashion catalog.

For a brand like Soeur, several points were essential:

• Inventory and collection management: Shopify makes it easy to highlight new items, organize seasonal campaigns and track availability in real time.
• The mobile experience: the majority of e-commerce traffic now comes from mobile devices. Shopify offers optimized themes and fluid navigation, key for a fashion brand that attracts a young, connected clientele.
• Internationalization: Shopify makes it easy to manage multiple currencies, languages and delivery zones. An asset to support Soeur’s expansion outside France.
• Integration with third-party tools: CRM, email marketing, logistics or analytics. The Shopify ecosystem offers a wide choice of applications, making it easy to set up a complete environment.

Finally, Shopify’s infrastructure ensures stable performance and enhanced security. These are essential elements for a brand that needs to inspire confidence and offer a frictionless shopping experience.

How did Soeur successfully migrate to Shopify?

Migrating an e-commerce site is more than just moving a product catalog. It involves technical, design and internal organizational changes. The logic behind this transition is clear: to simplify the day-to-day management of the site, while laying a more robust technical foundation to support the brand’s growth.

Most Shopify migration projects follow a structured sequence:

1. Framing the project
   We start by laying the foundations: what are the objectives of the migration? What are the limitations of the existing system? What constraints need to be taken into account (inventory, SEO, ERP, etc.)? This phase aligns the teams and defines a clear roadmap.
2. Content preparation
   Products, collections, pages, customer accounts, order histories… Everything is sorted, cleaned and ready for migration. This is also an opportunity to review the catalog structure or simplify certain logics.
3. UX/UI design and adaptation
   Migration is often an opportunity to review ergonomics: mobile navigation, content hierarchy, filters, shopping tunnel. Depending on the case, we start with an existing Shopify theme or develop a custom theme aligned with the brand’s identity.
4. Data migration and back-office configuration
   Data is imported into Shopify and the various modules (payment, delivery, taxes, currency, CRM, marketing tools) are parameterized. The aim: to have everything running smoothly on launch day.
5. SEO and redirections
   To avoid any loss of visibility, we reproduce the essential tags (title, H1, meta descriptions), check the URLs and set up 301 redirections. The internal mesh is adjusted if necessary.
6. Tests and recipes
   Each part of the site is tested: pages, customer path, payment, transactional e-mails, mobile display. We also check performance (loading time, browser compatibility, indexability).
7. On-line launch and post-launch monitoring
   Once the switchover has been completed, close monitoring enables us to quickly detect any points of friction and adjust according to feedback.

This type of migration can be completed in several weeks or months, depending on the complexity of the original site, the brand’s objectives, and the level of customization desired on Shopify.

In short: a successful Shopify migration means…

• frame the project from the outset,
• clean up and structure content,
• preserve existing SEO,
• anticipate the integration of business tools,
• and involve teams in the recovery phase.

A well-executed migration can’t be seen. But it can be felt, both on the customer side and in the back office.

Expected impact

With Shopify, Soeur now has a solid foundation to support its growth. The brand can evolve its site more quickly, test new approaches and improve the shopping experience without relying on complex development.

The autonomy of marketing and e-commerce teams has also been reinforced. They can manage catalogs, campaigns and editorial pages directly from the interface, without the need for technical support.

In the medium term, this migration should also support the brand’s international development. A stable, multilingual, high-performance platform is becoming an essential asset in bringing the Soeur universe to a wider audience.

Conclusion

In migrating to Shopify, Soeur has made a pragmatic, forward-looking choice. The brand now relies on a platform capable of keeping pace with its growth and enhancing the consistency of its online experience.

This shift illustrates a fundamental trend: more and more fashion brands are choosing Shopify to combine performance, autonomy and scalability, without compromising on image or customer experience.

Are you considering migrating to Shopify or redesigning your e-commerce site?
At KNR, we support fashion brands in their e-commerce projects, with method and transparency.
Tell us about your project →

This is where UTM tags come in. By adding these parameters to your URLs, you gain detailed visibility into where your traffic is coming from and the effectiveness of your ads, especially if your store is on Shopify.

In this article, we’ll explain how to set up your UTMs for Meta Ads correctly, integrate them effectively with Shopify and leverage the data collected to optimize your advertising performance.

Please note that our method also works for other e-commerce platforms (Woocommerce, Magento, Prestashop, etc.).

What are UTM beacons for?

What is a UTM tag and why use it?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) tags are parameters added to a URL to precisely track the origin of traffic to a website. They can be used to identify which specific campaign, platform or ad is generating traffic and conversions.

When using Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram Ads), it’s crucial to add these tags to track which ad generates the most sales or engagement on Shopify.

The 5 main UTM parameters are :

• utm_source: the platform from which the traffic originates(facebook, instagram…).
• utm_medium: type of traffic(cpc, social, paid…) or traffic source(feed, story, …)
• utm_campaign: the name of the advertising campaign and ad group.
• utm_content (optional): to differentiate ad variants (e.g. video_vs_image).
• utm_term (optional): used to track specific keywords or audiences.

Example of a URL with UTM tags:

https://www.maboutique.com/produit?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=promo_hiver_2024+-+retargeting&utm_content=carrousel

With these settings, you can find out exactly which ad, format or audience generates the best conversions on Shopify.

Did you know? The origin of UTMs

UTM tags were created by Urchin Software Corporation, a company specializing in web data analysis. In 2005, Google acquired Urchin and integrated this technology into Google Analytics, making UTMs an essential standard in marketing tracking.

Today, UTMs are used in all digital campaigns, whether for advertising, e-mails or even links shared on social networks. A simple but essential tool for measuring and optimizing marketing performance!

Although UTMs were originally developed by Google, they have now become a universal standard, supported by most marketing and e-commerce tools, independently of Google (such as Shopify, Woocommerce, …).

How to generate UTMs easily?

How do I create a URL with UTM tags?

To accurately track the origin of your traffic and analyze your advertising performance, add UTM tags to your links. Here’s how:

1. Use a UTM generator to avoid errors

Generate your UTMs easily with our online tool

Why use a UTM Builder?

• Save time: create UTM links in just a few clicks.
• Consistency: adopt a standardized nomenclature to avoid duplication.
• Precision: track your Meta Ads and Shopify campaigns without tracking errors.

2. Add the generated URL to your ads
In Meta Ads Manager, insert the URL with UTM in the “URL Parameters ” field for optimal tracking on Shopify and Google Analytics 4.

Example of a generated URL :

https://www.maboutique.com/produit?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=facebook_feed&utm_campaign=promo_hiver_2024+-+retargeting_dpa&utm_content=carrousel

Tip: always use the same nomenclature to easily compare your campaigns. For example:

• utm_source=facebook and not fb
• utm_medium= facebook_feed and not cpc or even paid_social. Personally, I prefer to indicate the location of my ads in theutm_medium, as the cpc value tells me nothing.
• utm_campaign=promo_winter_2024+-+retargeting_dpa (avoid spaces and accents)

With UTMs, you can track exactly which ads are generating the most sales on Shopify, and optimize your advertising budget based on actual performance.

Why use +-+ instead of a space in UTMs?

You may have noticed that we use the UTM utm_campaign to communicate 2 pieces of information:

• The name of the Meta campaign. promo_hiver_2024
• Ad group name (Ad Set). retargeting_dpa

We’d like to separate these 2 values with a space, but spaces are not well interpreted in URLs and can cause tracking errors. To avoid this, we recommend the use of wildcards. We can choose between:

• %20 → standard encoding of spaces (difficult to read in Shopify/GA4 reports).
• + → recognized as a space in some URLs, but can be misinterpreted.
• +-+ (recommended) → improves readability and ensures compatibility with Shopify and Google Analytics 4.

Example of optimized tracking with +-+

utm_campaign=promo_hiver_2024+-+retargeting_dpa

Benefits:
Easy to read in Shopify & Google Analytics.
Avoids encoding errors in tracking tools.
Standardizes ad campaign nomenclature.

Configuring your UTM for Meta Ads

Why add UTMs to Meta Ads?

Meta ads (Facebook & Instagram Ads) drive traffic to your Shopify store, but without accurate tracking, it’s difficult to properly attribute sales and optimize your campaigns.

UTM tags enable you to track each visitor, identify successful campaigns and measure the return on investment (ROI) of your advertising.

With UTMs, you can :
Identify which campaign generates the most sales on Shopify.
Compare performance between different ad formats (carousel, video, image…).
Track the precise origin of traffic and avoid discrepancies between Meta Ads and GA4.

Where to add UTM tags in Meta Ads?

To integrate UTM tracking into your Facebook & Instagram Ads campaigns, follow these steps:

Step 1: Access Meta Ads Manager

• Go to Meta Ads Manager and select the relevant campaign.
• Click on the ad to be modified.

Step 2: Add UTM parameters to Meta Ads

• Go to the “Follow-up” section.
• Find the “URL parameters” field.
• Add your URL with the generated UTMs in this recommended format
  utm_source={{site_source_name}}&utm_medium={{placement}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}+-+{{adset.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}

Why use this format?
It allows you to identify which specific ad generated the visit and analyze the impact of each campaign, ad set and ad in Shopify and Google Analytics.
Since the format is dynamic, you can use it for all your Meta ads without modifying it, and it will adapt to all your campaigns.

Automate tracking with Meta’s dynamic parameters

Instead of modifying each ad by hand, use Meta:

{{site_source_name}} → Automatically replaces with facebook.com or instagram.com, depending on the display platform.
{{placement}} → Indicates the specific location where the ad is displayed (e.g. feed, story, reels).
{{campaign.name}} → Automatically inserts the campaign name.
{{adset.name}} → Adds the name of the ad set.
{{ad.name}} → Replaces with ad name.

Example of a dynamic UTM optimized for Meta Ads :

utm_source={{site_source_name}}&utm_medium={{placement}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}+-+{{adset.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}

Advantages :
Faster: UTMs automatically adapt to campaigns.
More accurate: track every ad without manual errors.
Compatible with Shopify & Google Analytics 4 for optimized reporting.
Actionable data: Differentiation between Facebook and Instagram traffic in Shopify and Google Analytics.

Best practices for effective tracking

1. Use consistent nomenclature

A common mistake with UTMs is inconsistency in campaign and source names. Follow these best practices:
utm_source=facebook (avoid fb, FB Ads)
utm_medium=facebook_feed (very important to differentiate traffic coming from stories, feed, audience network)
utm_campaign=promo_winter_2024+-+retargeting_dpa (avoid accents and special characters – apostrophes, parentheses, spaces, question marks, etc.)

2. Test your UTMs before publishing

Before launching your campaign, test your URLs by :
Copying the URL with the UTMs into a browser to check redirection.
Using Google Tag Assistant or GA4 DebugView to ensure proper tracking.

3. Check performance in Shopify and Google Analytics 4

After setting up your UTMs in Meta Ads, track the performance of your campaigns:
In Shopify: go to Reports > Sessions by source to see where visitors and sales are coming from.
In GA4: go to Acquisition > Traffic > Campaigns to track the impact of Meta Ads campaigns.

Conclusion: Precise tracking for informed decisions

Correctly configuring your UTMs in Meta Ads is essential for tracking the real impact of your Facebook and Instagram ads on Shopify. By integrating UTMs in the “URL parameters” field and using dynamic settings, you get a detailed analysis of the performance of each ad.

Good tracking allows you to accurately measure your conversions,optimize your advertising budget andimprove the return on investment (ROI) of your campaigns.

Need a reliable UTM generator?
Try our UTM Builder and create your tracking links in seconds

But which of these two platforms is best suited to your fashion brand? This strategic choice may seem complex, but it’s crucial to supporting your growth and achieving your business objectives. This article aims to guide you through a detailed comparison of these two e-commerce giants, to help you make an informed choice.

Since the KNR agency was founded in 2016, we’ve been lucky enough to support several brands on projects running on both Shopify and Salesforce Commerce. So here’s a comparison of the solutions, also based on our experience, and that of our customers.

Shopify Plus overview

What is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is an advanced version of Shopify, designed specifically for growing businesses. The e-commerce platform offers a scalable solution that enables fashion brands to manage their online store with ease, while benefiting from robust functionality.

One of Shopify Plus’s key strengths is its ease of use. The intuitive interface enables teams to quickly get to grips with product, order and content management. What’s more, Shopify Plus includes integrated marketing tools, such as automated e-mail campaigns and social network integrations, making it easy to implement digital marketing strategies.

Shopify Plus also offers a wide range of customizable themes, enabling fashion brands to create an online storefront that faithfully reflects their identity. Thanks to this customization, brands can offer a unique and immersive user experience, essential for standing out in a saturated market.

It is of course possible to develop your own custom theme (from scratch).

Advantages of Shopify+ for a fashion brand

Shopify Plus is a solution that appeals to many fashion brands for several reasons:

Quick and easy to use

Unlike other, more complex platforms, Shopify Plus stands out for its simplicity. Even without advanced technical skills, it’s possible to create, launch and manage an online store in record time. This simplicity not only reduces initial costs, but also allows the team to focus on what’s most important: growing the brand.

Adaptability thanks to customizable themes

Fashion is a field where aesthetics are paramount. Shopify Plus offers highly customizable themes, enabling brands to create a site that perfectly reflects their style and brand image. Customization options range from layouts and fonts to colors and specific features, ensuring a consistent and engaging user experience.

Integration with social networks and marketing platforms

Shopify Plus offers seamless integration with major social networks, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. This enables fashion brands to sell directly via these platforms, while centralizing order and inventory management. What’s more, integrated marketing tools, such as email campaigns and push notifications, help boost sales and build customer loyalty.

Transparent pricing

Shopify Plus offers a simple, transparent pricing model. Unlike other solutions that can rack up hidden fees, Shopify Plus offers a clear pricing structure, making budget planning easy. This enables fashion brands to control costs while benefiting from a robust, scalable platform.

Examples of brands using Shopify Plus

Many successful fashion brands have chosen Shopify+ to power their online businesses.
Here are just a few examples:

Allbirds

Allbirds, a brand renowned for its eco-friendly and innovative footwear, has experienced dazzling growth thanks to Shopify Plus. This platform has enabled them to manage their rapid expansion while maintaining a seamless customer experience. Thanks to Shopify+’s scalability, Allbirds has been able to expand into new international markets while maintaining centralized management of its operations.

Le Slip Français

Le Slip Français, an iconic French brand of underwear and clothing made in France, used Shopify Plus to develop its online business. The platform enabled the brand to highlight its values of local manufacturing and sustainability, while offering a polished, fluid user experience. Thanks to Shopify Plus, Le Slip Français was able to easily integrate its sales channels and optimize its marketing campaigns, particularly on social networks, which considerably boosted its visibility and growth.

These examples show how Shopify Plus can be a major asset for fashion brands looking to grow rapidly while delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Introducing Salesforce Commerce Cloud

What is Salesforce Commerce Cloud?

Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) is a robust e-commerce platform designed for large enterprises and brands requiring highly customizable solutions. As part of theSalesforce ecosystem, this platform offers seamless integration with other Salesforce CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools, enabling centralized management and extensive personalization of the customer experience.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud is particularly appreciated for its omnichannel management capabilities, enabling fashion brands to synchronize their online and offline sales. Thanks to this platform, brands can offer a consistent customer experience across all channels, whether in-store, online, or via mobile apps.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud’s key features include advanced product management, powerful analysis tools and virtually infinite personalization options. These assets enable fashion brands to create tailor-made shopping experiences, adapted to the specific expectations of their customers.

Benefits of Salesforce Commerce Cloud for a fashion brand

Salesforce Commerce Cloud is an e-commerce solution that offers several distinct advantages for major fashion brands:

Powerful, flexible customization

One of the major strengths of Salesforce Commerce Cloud is its ability to offer extensive personalization. Brands can adapt every aspect of their online store to reflect their unique identity and meet the specific needs of their customers. Whether it’s the layout, functionality or customer journey, everything can be customized to deliver a truly bespoke experience.

Omnichannel management and integration with CRM tools :

Thanks to its native integration with the Salesforce ecosystem, Commerce Cloud enables efficient omnichannel management. Brands can synchronize their online sales with physical points of sale, guaranteeing a seamless customer experience. What’s more, integration with Salesforce’s CRM tools helps to better understand customer behavior, personalize interactions, and optimize marketing strategies.

Advanced tools for personalizing the customer experience :

Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers sophisticated tools for personalizing the customer experience, including advanced segmentation, AI-based product recommendations, and automated marketing campaigns. These features enable fashion brands to precisely target their customers, increase conversion and build audience loyalty.

Ability to handle large volumes of transactions:

For major fashion brands processing thousands of orders every day, Salesforce Commerce Cloud is proving to be an extremely robust solution. Its ability to handle high transaction volumes while maintaining optimal performance is a key factor for brands experiencing strong growth or operating on an international scale.

Examples of brands using Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Many leading fashion brands have chosen Salesforce Commerce Cloud to support and develop their online business. Here are two outstanding examples:

Lacoste

Lacoste, an iconic ready-to-wear brand, has opted for Salesforce Commerce Cloud to deliver a highly personalized customer experience. Thanks to this platform, Lacoste was able to integrate a complete omnichannel strategy, enabling customers to seamlessly navigate between online and physical channels. The advanced personalization offered by Salesforce Commerce Cloud has enabled Lacoste to create unique customer journeys, strengthening consumer engagement and loyalty.

Puma

Puma, one of the world’s most recognized sports brands, uses Salesforce Commerce Cloud to manage its global e-commerce operations. The platform’s ability to handle large volumes of transactions, combined with its integration with Salesforce CRM, enables Puma to deliver a consistent, personalized customer experience. This approach has enabled Puma to stand out in a competitive market, offering its customers a frictionless shopping experience, whether they buy online or in-store.

These examples illustrate how Salesforce Commerce Cloud can be a strategic asset for major fashion brands seeking to offer an omnichannel, personalized customer experience, while efficiently managing complex operations.

Shopify Plus vs. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Conclusion

The choice between Shopify Plus and Salesforce Commerce Cloud depends above all on the specific needs of your fashion brand. Shopify Plus stands out as a quick and easy solution to set up, ideal for growing brands looking for an efficient solution with transparent pricing. Its ease of use, adaptability, and integrations with social networks make it a solid choice for businesses that want to focus on expansion without being held back by technical complexity.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud, on the other hand, stands out for its power and flexibility. It’s a platform designed for large brands with complex personalization and omnichannel management needs. Its native integration with the Salesforce ecosystem enables centralized management of operations, which is crucial for brands seeking to offer a personalized, consistent customer experience across all channels.

Ultimately, the choice of CMS should be guided by your long-term objectives, your technical resources, and your business strategy. At KNR Agency, we understand the unique challenges fashion brands face, and we’re here to support you in this decision-making process. Don’t hesitate to contact us for personalized support in choosing and deploying the e-commerce solution that will propel your brand to new heights.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What’s the main difference between Shopify Plus and Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
The main difference lies in ease of use and technical complexity. Shopify Plus is easier to use and implement, while Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers greater customization and advanced omnichannel management, ideal for large enterprises.

2. Which CMS is best suited to a small fashion brand?
For a small fashion brand, Shopify Plus is often the preferred choice due to its simplicity, affordability, and ability to grow with the brand.

3. Is it possible to migrate from Shopify Plus to Salesforce Commerce Cloud as my brand grows?
Yes, it is possible to migrate from Shopify Plus to Salesforce Commerce Cloud as your brand’s needs evolve. However, this migration requires careful planning and may involve additional costs.

4. What are the support options for each platform?
Shopify Plus offers 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone, with a dedicated team for large accounts. Salesforce Commerce Cloud also offers dedicated support, but is generally more suited to larger companies, with training options and expert consultants for complex projects.

5. How do I know which CMS is best suited to my brand?
It’s advisable to call on experts like KNR Agency to assess your specific needs, long-term objectives and available resources before making a decision. Every brand is unique, and the choice of CMS should reflect that uniqueness.