Strides Co., a modern fashion and lifestyle brand based in Bangladesh, is known for offering high-quality, thoughtfully curated products. However, despite having a strong product lineup, their digital presence did not reflect the brand’s quality and aspirations. Facing critical issues like poor performance, confusing navigation, and operational inefficiencies, Strides turned to Antopolis for a complete digital overhaul. The goal was clear: to create a seamless, intelligent, and scalable e-commerce platform that enhances user experience and empowers internal operations for the digital Bangladesh.

Analysis

Challenges in the Existing Platform

Strides found itself struggling with a website that was failing both users and internal teams. Built on Laravel with a multi-page architecture, the site suffered from slow page load times and poor performance, frustrating users and prompting cart abandonment. The previous admin panel was convoluted and unintuitive, making simple tasks like updating product listings or managing orders time-consuming and error-prone. The internal team lacked an efficient way to update the catalog or manage content, often relying on manual, error-prone processes. The gap between the brand’s premium identity and its underperforming digital infrastructure grew more damaging as the business scaled, demanding a modern, scalable, and responsive solution.

Revolution

A Digital Rebuild

Antopolis approached the challenge with a two-phase transformation strategy.

In Phase 1, the entire platform was rebuilt from the ground up using the MERN stack and Next.js, replacing the older Laravel-based architecture. This overhaul significantly improved performance, reducing load times and enabling smoother, faster navigation through server-side rendering and optimized client performance. On the backend, a new custom admin portal was developed from scratch, empowering internal teams to easily update product listings, monitor inventory in real-time, and view detailed sales reports. This helped both Strides and its partners make smarter, data-driven decisions while eliminating many of the inefficiencies caused by the previous convoluted admin system.

In Phase 2, the user interface was reimagined to reflect the premium identity of the brand. The UI underwent substantial refinement to become cleaner, more responsive, and visually coherent. Navigation was simplified with well-structured pages that reduced cognitive load and guided users intuitively through the shopping experience. Dynamic, high-quality product images were introduced to showcase craftsmanship more engagingly, contributing to a more polished and effortless shopping experience.

Purpose

Meaningful Impact

The transformation had a direct and meaningful impact on both the customer experience and internal operations. Load times improved dramatically, which reduced bounce rates and increased user engagement. Shoppers now enjoy a sleek, intuitive interface that inspires trust and eases decision-making. Dynamic visuals bring products to life, contributing to higher conversion rates and average order values. From a performance standpoint, the rebuilt platform performed exceptionally well on industry-standard benchmarking tools. On Pingdom, StridesCo now consistently scores an A grade, while most competitors in the same space average C to B grades at best. Similarly, Lighthouse scores reflected significant improvements in speed, accessibility, and best practices, reaffirming the technical excellence of the rebuild. The new admin portal eliminated many manual tasks, improved content accuracy, and provided the Strides team with real control over their digital storefront. As a result, Strides saw improved sales performance, stronger partner satisfaction, and a flexible infrastructure poised for future growth.

Vision

Way Forward

The collaboration between Strides Co. and Antopolis is a compelling example of how thoughtful, phased digital transformation can unlock both brand potential and operational efficiency. By addressing fundamental issues in user experience, system performance, and internal workflows, Antopolis delivered a robust platform aligned with Strides’ premium vision. Today, Strides is better equipped to serve its customers, support partners, and scale confidently in a competitive, digital-first marketplace