Heinz & Distell Shopify Case Study | Organic

Service & Project Type

e-commerce strategy, e-commerce build, operational strategy, design, UX and data.

Introduction

When global brands like Heinz and Distell needed to modernise their e-commerce experiences, they turned to Organic. Both brands faced complex operational challenges and needed solutions that could scale fast, deliver great customer experiences and unlock real growth.

By leveraging Shopify Plus, we helped Heinz and Distell transform their digital operations, streamline performance and smash sales targets.

Client Overview

Heinz: A globally recognised household name, Heinz trusted Organic to deliver nearly a dozen websites to support their evolving direct-to-consumer (D2C) ambitions.
Distell: An international alcohol group with famous whisky brands, Distell partnered with Organic to elevate their e-commerce presence and optimise for growth.

The Challenges

Despite their size and success, both Heinz and Distell faced similar hurdles:

Outdated technology stacks that limited flexibility and innovation
Complex legacy systems that hampered agile marketing and D2C efforts
Poor data collection and analytics limiting business insights
Inefficient search, filtering and navigation leading to low conversion rates
High-friction checkout experiences causing basket abandonment
Shipping and pricing issues negatively impacting sales
Weak search performance due to SEO and content gaps

Our Solution: Shopify Plus

We recommended Shopify Plus, an enterprise-grade eCommerce platform, because of its:

Integrated ePOS system connecting online and offline sales
Advanced inventory and shipping management tools
Built-in, high-accuracy analytics for better decision-making
Extensive APIs for headless CMS integrations
Support for augmented reality shopping experiences
Low-friction payment gateways that boost conversions

How We Helped Heinz

During the pandemic, Heinz needed a rapid D2C solution to reach customers directly and support frontline workers.

Organic built a Shopify Plus ecosystem that:

Launched Heinz’s first-ever D2C experience within two weeks
Enabled global expansion into six countries and two languages
Empowered regional teams to manage stores independently
Pivoted flexibly as pandemic-driven demand evolved
Created an ongoing platform for seasonal promotions and personalised products

Impact:

The Heinz To Home store evolved into a beloved brand experience, shipping 16,000+ personalised ketchup bottles alone and maintaining strong engagement even post-pandemic.

How We Helped Distell

For Distell, Organic built Shopify Plus stores for three Scottish whisky brands.

Key initiatives included:

Developing a shared templating system to speed up builds while enabling independent management
Ensuring full flexibility for local teams while sharing features and updates
Launching loyalty-driven experiences like Bunnahabhain’s Coterie program for exclusive member sales

Impact:

727 orders and £212,000+ in revenue within the first 24 hours of launching the Coterie site
34% of online sales in the first six months of 2022 tied to the new enhanced experience
100% uptime during flash sale spikes, solving historic downtime issues

Final Results

Both Heinz and Distell achieved:

Faster, more flexible marketing and eCommerce operations
Stronger D2C engagement and loyalty
High-conversion shopping experiences
Real-time analytics to inform smarter business decisions
A scalable foundation for ongoing growth and innovation

Final Thoughts

Complex eCommerce challenges need strategic, cross-disciplinary solutions. By combining smart operational thinking, user-centred design, and the power of Shopify Plus, Organic helped Heinz and Distell not just survive, but thrive.