Theme setup with custom Build-a-Box
How Studio Elephant lifted Kakawa Chocolates' conversion from 1.1% to about 4%
Theme setup with custom Build-a-Box. Rebuilt in 3 weeks. Results measured over 90 days.
The problem
Kakawa Chocolates had a website from 2011 that was hurting sales. The site was slow, looked dated, and did not work on phones.
They had a tight budget and 3 weeks. They needed a rebuild that updated the brand, improved conversion, and made the store easy to use.
The challenge
- Old 2011 website that looked unprofessional
- No mobile support, so phone shoppers bounced
- Pages took about 5s to load
- 1.1% conversion rate with a $60 average order value
What Studio Elephant changed
1. Simplify everything
- Redesigned the whole site for phones first
- Simplified navigation so customers could reach any page in a few clicks
- Clean layout that showed off the premium chocolates
Why this worked. The old site was cluttered and confusing. Fewer choices and a clearer path to buy made purchase easier.
2. Custom Build-a-Box
- Custom Build Your Own Box built into the theme
- Avoided costly monthly app fees
- A shopping flow that raised average order size
Why this worked. Build-a-Box became a top selling option. Building it into the theme saved money and kept the experience smooth.
3. Speed and clarity
- Load times cut from about 5s to 1.5s
- Clear buy and add to cart buttons across the site
- Full mobile support so the store worked on every device
Why this worked. Every second of wait loses sales. Faster loads and clearer buttons gave customers fewer reasons to leave.
The results
Period: September 2025 – November 2025
Conversion up over 3x (1.1% to about 4%)
Lifted conversion from 1.1% to about 4% in 90 days (over 3x).
- Baseline: 1.1% conversion
- Timeframe: 90 days
- Measurement: Shopify Analytics vs pre-rebuild baseline
60% growth in average order value
From $60 to $96 per order. Build-a-Box and clearer product pages encouraged larger baskets.
- Baseline: AOV $60
- Timeframe: 90 days
- Measurement: Shopify Analytics vs pre-rebuild baseline
70% faster page load times
From about 5s to 1.5s.
- Baseline: ~5s load
- Timeframe: At launch / post-rebuild
- Measurement: Page load timing before vs after rebuild
"Studio Elephant did a great job building our Shopify store for our chocolate business. They got our brand right away and made a store that looks premium, is easy to move around, and makes buying smooth for customers. They kept us in the loop, hit every deadline, and the result was better than we hoped."
Jinsun Kim, Owner, Kakawa Chocolates
What this project taught
1. Simplicity sells
Focusing on ease of use, speed, and sales, instead of flashy design, delivered real results even on a small budget.
2. Custom features beat app fees
Building Build-a-Box into the theme saved money over time and gave a better experience than a third-party app.
3. Mobile and speed come first
The old site had no mobile support and multi-second loads. Fixing both had to come before anything else could work.
Common questions
How much did Kakawa Chocolates conversion rate increase?
Studio Elephant lifted Kakawa Chocolates' conversion from 1.1% to about 4% in 90 days (over 3x). Average order value also grew 60%, from $60 to $96.
How long did the Kakawa Shopify rebuild take?
Studio Elephant rebuilt the Kakawa Chocolates Shopify store in 3 weeks. The scope covered a mobile-first redesign, custom Build-a-Box, and speed work. Conversion lift was measured over 90 days after launch.
Did Kakawa need a full redesign or conversion fixes only?
Kakawa needed a rebuild. The 2011 site had no usable mobile experience and multi-second load times. Studio Elephant rebuilt on Shopify with conversion as the goal, not a cosmetic refresh.
What was the biggest conversion change on the Kakawa store?
Custom Build-a-Box built into the theme, plus faster pages and clearer buy paths. Load time dropped from about 5s to 1.5s, which removed a major drop-off.
Want a theme set up properly?
Theme setups from $2,400 AUD. Custom builds start from $5,000 AUD when a theme cannot carry the store. Or start with a $699 AUD conversion audit if the store is live and you need a fix list.
More case studies
Shopify development
Wholefoods Refillery
+18% CVR
Mobile-first redesign with clearer product info and faster pages.
Conversion work
The Aviator Store
+11% orders
Trust signals and product page fixes. No full redesign.
Theme-base build
Curaye
2 weeks
Jewellery store customised from a theme base in two weeks.
Brand launch (theme setup)
NidōNest
3 weeks
Shopify launch for handcrafted Montessori floor beds.
Last updated: