10 Inspiring Headless Commerce Examples (and Why They Work)

Everyone aboard the headless commerce train! Big brands like Nike, Lush, and Allbirds have jumped on the bandwagon for a good reason. They get faster loading times, the freedom to craft unique shopping experiences, and the flexibility to seamlessly sell across websites, mobile apps, and even in-store displays. Sounds like magic, right? Well, it's not. It’s headless commerce in action.

In this post, we’ll dive into real-world case studies and break down exactly why these brands went headless and what they gained from it. From page speed that will leave your customers in awe to designs that make your competition look outdated, headless commerce is here to stay. And here’s the kicker: we’ll be dropping actionable insights you can apply to your store. Ready to supercharge your eCommerce game? Let’s go.

Understanding Headless Commerce

Here are the basics you need to master. 

What is Headless Commerce?

Simply put, headless commerce is an eCommerce architecture that separates the front end and backend of an online store. It keeps what customers see off where background processes happen. This frees you from the limitations of a single platform. 

Instead of having everything tied together (front and back), the “head”, or the front-end presentation, is removed. You’re given the freedom to design your store exactly how you want it, using any technology you prefer. React? Check. Vue? Check. A custom CMS? Check. Mobile apps? You got it. Your front end can look and function however you need, while still connecting to the same back-end eCommerce system through Application Programming Interfaces, or API.

Headless commerce separates the frontend presentation from the back-end elements.

Important Terms in Headless Commerce

So, what does this look like in simple terms?

• Back end: The operational side of the store. It handles the essential tasks such as managing inventory, checkout, payments, and processing orders.

• Front end: The visible presentation of the store. This is where customers directly interact with the business.  In headless commerce, the front end can be built with any tech, allowing you to customize the shopping experience without backend constraints.

• APIs: The interconnecting issues between the front end and the back end. They’re the glue that holds everything together. 

Key Features of Headless Commerce

Headless commerce is taking over the eCommerce scene. Here’s why:

• Faster page load speeds: This means better conversion rates and SEO. Customers don’t wait around, and Google rewards you for it.

• Customised shopping experiences: Create a user interface that works for your customers. No more compromising on design.

• Omnichannel selling: One back end can power everything—from websites to mobile apps, smart devices, and in-store displays.

• Scalability: Update designs or launch new front ends without touching the back end.

Why More Businesses are Going Headless?

The eCommerce landscape is quickly evolving. Meanwhile, traditional platforms are struggling to keep up. They don’t usually come equipped with tools to create unique shopping experiences. On the other hand, headless commerce offers flexibility and speed. It’s like upgrading from a basic sedan to a fully customizable sports car. 

Speed and Performance That'll Leave Your Competitors in the Dust

Headless commerce uses super-fast, lightweight front-end frameworks in tandem with a powerful back-end engine. The result? Lightning-fast page load times that keep customers happy and Google even happier. Faster loading means better SEO rankings and more conversions. You’re not just improving user experience; you’re boosting sales too. That’s what we call hitting two birds with one stone. 

Omnichannel Selling Power Like Never Before

With headless commerce, you get the freedom to power any sales channel your heart desires. Websites? Of course. Mobile apps? You bet. Social media storefronts, voice assistants, even IoT devices like smart mirrors and kiosks? All of that and more. Headless lets you create a seamless experience wherever your customers are shopping—because your back end is now flexible enough to handle it all.

In the modern eCommerce landscape, businesses are investing more in multiple channels to nurture a complete shopping experience.

Customizability with Design Freedom

Ever feel boxed in by the rigid designs of traditional eCommerce platforms? With headless, the design shackles come off. Want to try a bold new layout? Go for it. Add some slick animations or create personalized experiences for each visitor? You’re free to experiment without worrying about breaking your back-end system. Whether you’re building something super dynamic or just want more control over your store’s look, headless commerce gives you the keys to the design kingdom.

36 Best Headless Commerce Examples

Ready to see headless commerce in action? These 36 examples are proof that going headless can be a game-changer for businesses looking to optimize speed, boost conversions, and create unique customer experiences.

1. Nike – Sportswear

Tech Stack: React.js SPA and Node.js

Nike doesn’t just sell shoes; they sell an experience. However, the company finds its eCommerce setup outdated. The traditional tech stack just wasn’t cutting it. So, they opted for a headless commerce approach. Nike builds a mobile-first, omnichannel online shop that feels like it was custom-built for every customer. No more limitations. Just pure flexibility.

The payoff? Faster site speeds, improved user experience, and a huge boost in customer engagement across all devices. The result is a shopping experience that’s seamless, fast, and highly personalized: everything Nike’s customers love.

2. Burrow – Furniture Brand

Tech Stack: BigCommerce headless and Hygraph CMS

Burrow was growing fast, and so was their product line. With it comes complexity. They needed a more flexible and autonomous way to handle their templates and marketing. The company went headless to keep up with its ever-expanding catalog while maintaining the flexibility to experiment with fresh designs.

Headless worked its magic. Burrow saw 30% higher conversions and a 50% faster site performance. Now, they can roll out new designs quickly, test ideas, and optimize performance on the fly. 

3. Koala – Furniture & Mattresses

Tech Stack: Commercetools API-first architecture

Koala, the Australian furniture and mattress brand, isn’t just about getting you a comfy night’s sleep. They want to scale fast. As their product range exploded, they needed an architecture that could handle rapid growth. Enters headless commerce! This new approach provides the flexibility Koala desires while improving speed and efficiency. 

In just under a year, Koala grew their SKUs from 371 to 674 and expanded their categories from 13 to 29. That’s a 200% jump. Headless commerce gave them the scalability to meet demand and launch products quickly, without any friction. It’s a textbook example of how headless can enable rapid growth without slowing down your site.

4. Lush – Ethical Cosmetics

Tech Stack: Custom headless CMS + eCommerce platform integration

Lush products are deeply tied to their ethical mission. They needed a way to deliver that message while still providing a seamless shopping experience. With headless commerce, they could showcase rich, engaging content alongside their product offerings. Customers didn’t just buy an item; they connected with a cause.

Lush unlocked a new level of content flexibility, letting them tell their brand story more dynamically. Plus, they maintained a consistent user experience across global markets, from London to Tokyo. With headless commerce, Lush better delivered an experience that aligned with their values.

5. GhostBed – Mattress Brand

Tech Stack: Custom headless build for speed and performance

The mattress game is competitive, with countless brands fighting for your attention (and your sleep). GhostBed knew that to stand out, they needed lightning-fast load times. In an industry where every second counts, headless commerce was the perfect fit.

By embracing a custom headless build, GhostBed saw significant speed gains. The company’s website now loads lightning fast, leading to higher conversion rates. In a market where one slow-loading page can cost you a sale, this was their ticket to staying competitive.

6. Redbox – Movie Rentals

Tech Stack: API-driven headless commerce setup

The movie rental landscape is dominated by streaming services. Redbox, to stand out, has to provide a seamless experience across multiple platforms. By going headless, they could ensure that customers could easily rent movies not just online, but also via their kiosks and mobile apps. 

Headless commerce made Redbox’s customer journey smooth and consistent across multiple channels. Whether you’re picking a movie from a kiosk or browsing from your couch, the experience is seamless and frictionless. That’s the power of going headless.

7. PureCycles – Bike Retailer

Tech Stack: Shopify headless + custom React frontend

PureCycles wants to keep up with the changing landscape. Their customers are moving online, and the company has to move fast. An optimized, high-performance experience on all devices is what they strive for. PureCycles chooses the headless commerce architecture. 

The result? PureCycles loads seamlessly regardless of the screen size. And as you know, faster load times translate to better mobile engagement. Whether customers are browsing from their phone, tablet, or desktop, the PureCycles experience feels top-notch. 

8. Allbirds – DTC Footwear

Tech Stack: Shopify Plus + custom headless frontend

Allbirds prided itself on its eco-friendly approach. They wanted their website to reflect the same mission. That means a clean, sleek, and completely brand-first interface. With headless, they gained maximum control over their design, enabling them to create a unique experience that mirrored their values.

Their standout visual identity is now fully integrated into their online store. Headless allowed them to improve site performance globally. It loads faster, smoother, and more dynamically. Allbirds didn’t just create a store; they built a brand that sells itself with every click.

9. Gymshark – Fitness Apparel

Tech Stack: Shopify Plus headless + React frontend

Gymshark was in growth mode. When you’re scaling, you need a solution that can keep up. From global launches to peak sales events like Black Friday, Gymshark demanded a robust, high-performance store that could deliver uninterrupted service to customers around the world.

Headless commerce allowed Gymshark to maintain seamless performance during high-traffic events. Black Friday? No problem. Gymshark’s site didn’t just hold up—it thrived under pressure, proving that headless is perfect for scaling.

10. Lancôme – Luxury Cosmetics

Tech Stack: React Progressive Web App (PWA) frontend

Lancôme needed to optimize its mobile performance and deliver a premium, app-like browsing experience to customers. So, they turned to headless commerce and Progressive Web Apps (PWA) to give customers a high-end experience that worked flawlessly on any device.

The outcome? Pages load 2–4x faster, enjoy 17% higher conversions, as well as a massive 80% rise in mobile traffic. Fast, seamless, and luxurious.

11. GemPages – eCommerce Store Builder

Tech Stack: Shopify Plus + custom headless integration

GemPages is all about creating high-converting, visually stunning pages—and we don’t need to get bogged down with complex coding to make it happen. Going headless is the secret sauce that helps us unlock full potential. By removing platform restrictions, we get to offer more robust functionality and total creative freedom for our users.

With headless, GemPages users can build pages that are not just faster but also more dynamic and capable of driving higher conversions. It’s the perfect mix for anyone looking to create pages that wow and sell—with zero coding headaches.

Headless commerce removes the restrictions of the platform, allowing GemPages to facilitate more powerful features for our users.

12. Netflix – Streaming Service

Tech Stack: React.js + Node.js

Netflix needs no introduction. The movie streaming platform handles billions of visits every day without fail. But there’s still room for improvement. Netflix wants a more immersive experience for its millions of users around the world. Faster load speed is among the most imperative updates. 

By embracing headless, Netflix drastically improved its user experience across platforms. Faster content delivery, more engaging interactions, and zero loading delays made for a better customer experience.

13. Casper – Mattress Brand

Tech Stack: Shopify Plus headless + custom React frontend

Casper needed flexibility to experiment with dynamic layouts and product features without sacrificing site performance. Enter headless commerce, which gave them full creative control over the shopping journey. Casper saw improved site speed, better customer engagement, and higher conversions. The result? A smoother, faster, and more dynamic mattress-buying experience for every customer.

14. Reebok – Sportswear

Tech Stack: Custom headless CMS + React frontend

Reebok was launching a great number of new products. Their traditional setup cannot meet this growing demand, sparking the need for a new solution. The company experimented with headless commerce for the creative freedom while keeping everything connected. The architecture reduced its time-to-market for new products, improved site performance, and ensured customers had a consistent experience. 

15. Bose – Audio Equipment

Tech Stack: Headless commerce with custom React frontend

Bose wants to create a premium shopping experience, much like their audio products. By going headless, the company was able to reproduce an immersive buyer journey while keeping things optimized on the back end. Their website now loads faster and keeps customers interacting with the brand seamlessly.

16. Tesla – Electric Vehicles

Tech Stack: Custom headless build + React

A headless solution gave Tesla the flexibility to create an interactive configurator for its cars. Such a commerce approach provided a dynamic configurator experience that helped customers engage with the brand and move through the purchase process faster—all while keeping the site optimized.

17. H&M – Fast Fashion

Tech Stack: Shopify Plus + custom headless architecture

Like the name suggests, the fast fashion industry moves quickly. H&M needed a way to keep up with the ever-changing demands. By going headless, they could effectively scale their site and adapt to new trends without sacrificing consistency. 

18. Wayfair – Home Goods Retailer

Tech Stack: Custom headless CMS + React frontend

Wayfair has millions of products. Most traditional platforms cannot handle such a large inventory. By going headless, they were able to create a flexible system that showcases a huge catalog without fail. The company greatly improves site speed and personalizes customer interactions, making it easier for shoppers to find exactly what they want.

19. Blue Apron – Meal Kit Delivery

Tech Stack: Shopify Plus + custom headless build

Blue Apron doubled down on a dynamic shopping experience with its headless approach. The architecture makes designing meal options easier. This allowed customers to create the perfect meal kit journey without sacrificing performance.

20. Patagonia – Outdoor Gear

Tech Stack: Custom headless build + Shopify Plus

Patagonia wanted to align its sustainable brand with its website experience. By going headless, they gained the flexibility to create engaging, eco-friendly content while keeping the site fast and optimized for performance.

Other Headless Commerce Heroes (Honorable Mentions)

Ready for even more inspiring headless success stories? Here’s a lineup of 16 other brands that nailed it with headless commerce:

• #21 Burt’s Bees – Clean, customizable shopping experiences with better control over their brand presentation.

• #22 Sephora – A dynamic, interactive beauty shopping experience that adapts to every device.

• #23 The North Face – Fast-loading site across all channels, offering a seamless shopping experience for outdoor lovers.

• #24 Bonobos – A tailored shopping experience with full design flexibility for a fashion-forward brand.

• #25 American Eagle – Unmatched performance with real-time updates and personalized shopping experiences.

• #26 Jabra – Optimizing the customer journey for better performance and mobile engagement across all platforms.

• #27 Casper – A mattress brand making waves with dynamic, fast-performing pages and seamless checkout.

• #28 Chubbies Shorts – Delivering fun and engaging shopping experiences with quick site load times and a playful interface.

• #29 The Good Trade – Creating a beautiful, eco-conscious shopping experience with fast and efficient design.

• #30 John Lewis – Enabling smooth product search and purchase experiences while offering quick load times.

• #31 Herschel Supply Co. – Showcasing backpacks and apparel with clean, minimalist design and fast, responsive performance.

• #32 Vans – Scaling quickly with headless commerce, giving customers a faster, seamless experience from shoes to apparel.

• #33 Jockey – Combining performance with flexibility, offering a streamlined shopping journey across devices.

• #34 Superdry – Offering dynamic content for a responsive shopping experience without compromising speed.

• #35 M&M’s – Bringing personalized candy buying to life with headless commerce for a fun, fast experience.

• #36 Shoe Carnival – Combining highly customizable product pages with mobile optimization, leading to increased conversions.

Key Takeaways to Better Your Headless Commerce Experiences

The great thing about headless commerce is that you don’t need a big budget to tap into its benefits. With the right tools and a little creativity, everyone can enjoy faster sites and more engaging experiences. Here’s what you may have missed when incorporating the headless architecture.

What the Top Brands Have in Common?

The top brands that went headless all share key strategies that helped them stay ahead of the competition. Let’s break down what makes headless commerce a winning formula for everyone, from fashion giants to tech innovators.

• Speed and performance First: Let’s be real: no one’s sticking around for a slow website. Every brand we looked at understood that the faster your site, the better. Whether it’s React.js, PWAs, or API-driven solutions, speed is always the priority. Why? Because faster load times mean everything. It leads to happier customers, better SEO, and more sales. 

• Multi-device support: It’s no longer enough to just focus on one device. Whether customers are on mobile, desktop, or even an in-store display, their experience should be consistent. Headless commerce helps make this possible. It ensures a seamless journey across every channel.

• Storytelling: Lush, Allbirds, and Burrow prove that with headless commerce, you don’t have to sacrifice creativity for functionality. With headless, you get full creative control over your store’s design and messaging. This means you can offer a unique shopping experience without being boxed in by platform restrictions. 

Whether your customers are on mobile, desktop, or in-store, headless commerce offers a seamless experience that is fast and reliable. 

How can You Adapt These Strategies Without an Enterprise Budget?

Ready to steal some of these proven strategies without breaking the bank? Here’s how you can make it happen.

• Start with a conversion-focused page builder: You don’t need a full development team to make your website shine. Tools like GemPages let you build high-converting pages without a background in coding. You get full design flexibility while keeping things affordable. 

• Boost your site speed: Speed is king. Start with lightweight, mobile-friendly templates. Compress your images and remove any unnecessary apps or add-ons. 

• Start with one or two key sales channels first: Trying to do everything at once is a surefire way to spread yourself too thin. Focus on one or two core sales channels, like your website and mobile app. Then gradually expand into social media and other channels as your business grows. 

• Differentiate yourself: Customers want to feel connected to your brand. Tell your story, and make it memorable. Whether through stunning images, customer reviews, or even videos, try to stand out from the crowd. 

Wrapping It Up

This may come as a cliché, but headless commerce is the future of eCommerce. Here’s the thing: You don’t need to be a Nike or Tesla to get in on the action. Smaller brands can take these lessons and adapt them to fit their budget and goals. 

The key is flexibility, speed, and creative control. With tools like GemPages, you can build a high-performing, dynamic store without the need for an army of developers or a massive budget. It’s time to ditch the traditional platform shackles and embrace the freedom that headless commerce offers.

Frequently Asked Questions