Smith Optics, based in Portland, Oregon, began in 1965 with the invention of the first goggle featuring a sealed thermal lens and breathable vent foam. Founder Dr. Bob Smith crafted early goggles by hand and often traded them for lift tickets. From those early prototypes, Smith has grown into a leading eyewear and goggle brand known for innovation, durability, and top-tier performance.

Smith Optics needed to modernize its digital commerce infrastructure to achieve greater speed and global scale. Operating on Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC), the brand required a partner who could not only maintain the existing codebase (addressing immediate needs regarding site speed, checkout flow friction, and third-party integrations) but also guide them through a major strategic platform shift.

The complexity of the project involved:
Global Requirements: Managing a seamless international experience across different regions, languages, and currencies.
Intricate Product Data: Improving the product discovery experience for technical items, specifically ensuring customers could easily select the correct lenses for their vision and lifestyle needs.
Operational Continuity: Sustaining the legacy SFCC site performance and stability through "Roadside Assistance" managed services and audits while simultaneously building the new architecture.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Fast

Rapid Migration from SFCC to Shopify Plus

Red Van executed a "Think Big, Start Small, Act Fast" strategy to manage the migration from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify Plus. The solution was characterized by an aggressive delivery timeline and a focus on utilizing the specific strengths of the Shopify ecosystem.

Key components of the solution included:

Rapid Re-platforming: The team completed the full migration from kickoff to launch in just 4 months. 
Shopify Markets Implementation: Red Van leveraged Shopify Markets to enable seamless internationalization, solving the challenge of managing global regions and currencies.
Custom User Experience (UX): To address product complexity, Red Van built a guided lens-selection experience and implemented advanced search and discovery tools to help shoppers find specific products instantly.
Ongoing Support & Audits: While building the new site, Red Van provided continued development services for the SFCC site, including code audits to optimize business manager controls and operational efficiencies, ensuring no drop in performance during the transition.

The collaboration resulted in a successful launch that solidified Smith Optics' ability to scale globally while significantly improving the customer experience.

Enhanced Performance & Speed: The new Shopify Plus site delivers a faster, global-ready experience compared to the legacy system.
Intuitive Product Discovery: The implementation of advanced search and the guided lens selector has made the shopping process for complex performance gear effortless.
Time to Market** — From kickoff to launch in just 4 months, this project is a testament to Smith's clear vision, bold goals, and collaborative spirit.