Allen's Camera

Allen’s Camera is a specialist photography retailer founded in Philadelphia in 1977 — one of the most trusted camera stores in the US. For decades, the in-store experience was irreplaceable: knowledgeable staff, expert curation, a community of serious photographers. The challenge was translating that into a product that could compete online without losing what made it special.

The challenge. An outdated ecommerce experience was costing real revenue. The existing site was difficult to navigate, the layout confused customers, and online sales were a fraction of what the brand warranted. Allen’s needed more than a redesign — they needed a product that could carry the expertise and trust of the physical store into a digital format.

What we shipped. A full ecommerce rebuild on BigCommerce, with a custom CMS giving the Allen’s team genuine editorial control. We built custom search and filtering designed around how photographers actually shop — by system, by use case, by budget — rather than generic category trees. A modern UI that reflected the store’s heritage while feeling competitive with any major online retailer. Then ongoing optimisation sprints to keep pushing the numbers.

The outcome. Annual online turnover grew tenfold. 10× growth in online revenue. 22% higher average order value. 197% increase in carts. The results validated what the team already knew — the audience was there, the product just hadn’t been built for them yet.

“Your company rules. I often feel dazed from days filled with chasing vendors to hold up their end of our partnership. All Shapes has been a breath of fresh air since day one.” — Brandon, Allen’s Camera