Built to Last: Smith Optics' Commerce Overhaul
Smith Optics had outgrown its eCommerce infrastructure.
Smith Optics
The Client
- Company
- Smith Optics
- Website
- smithoptics.com
- Industry
- Sporting Goods
- Headquarters
- portland, united states
- Employees
- 201-500
About Smith Optics
Smith Optics, founded in 1965 in Portland, Oregon, creates high-quality outdoor eyewear and protective gear, including sunglasses, goggles, and helmets for sports enthusiasts. The company aims to enhance outdoor experiences through innovative design and advanced technologies like ChromaPop lens innovation, which improves color and clarity.
The Challenge
Smith Optics had outgrown its eCommerce infrastructure. The legacy platform was expensive to maintain, hard to operate, and too rigid to extend. Every enhancement required disproportionate effort. Smith needed a new architecture — one that cut overhead, sharpened the customer experience, and let their team move without technical debt slowing them down.
Our Approach
Chameleon Collective embedded with Smith Optics to lead a three-phase Shopify migration. We started by defining what had to change: gathering business requirements, interviewing stakeholders, assessing the legacy site, and mapping customer pain points against long-term business goals.
Next, we managed the USA and Canada Shopify launch. This included complex integrations through Mulesoft into Smith’s North American ERP, Pick, plus AfterShip, Smith’s custom google mobile app, and Algolia-powered on-site search.
We then led the EMEA launch, connecting Shopify to the parent entity’s SAP backend through Mulesoft, adding five languages, and supporting two additional currencies. The goal was not just launch. It was producing a platform the Smith could own.
The Impact
Smith Optics moved to a more agile, efficient commerce model. The new Shopify ecosystem reduced overhead, simplified data flow, and helped the team operate with less staff while focusing more on customers and growth. With stronger tools, cleaner integrations, and better marketing automation, Smith gained a commerce foundation built to last.
The Work
Featured Expert
The Chameleon who led this engagement.
