Varsity Gripz — $0 to 7-Figure Revenue in Under 12 Months
The Challenge
Varsity Gripz was a brand-new DTC sports accessories brand launching from zero — no revenue, no customers, no existing store infrastructure. The goal was to build, launch, and scale a Shopify store as fast as possible while also establishing a separate B2B channel.
My Role
I joined Varsity Gripz at Day 0 as Founding Ecommerce Lead. I owned end-to-end Shopify execution across both the DTC and B2B channels, working directly with the CEO on launches, promotions, and growth strategy.
What I Did
CRO Implementation — Built the store with conversion-first architecture from day one. Optimized PDPs, cart flow, and checkout experience. Implemented mobile UX improvements and trust signals throughout the purchase funnel.
AOV Growth — Designed and implemented bundle strategies and Starter Kits that increased average order value by 20–30%. Configured Rebuy Smart Cart for intelligent upsell and cross-sell logic.
App Stack Integration — Set up and configured Rebuy Smart Cart, Okendo (reviews), Klaviyo (email), Loop Returns, and Gorgias + Zendesk for customer support. Achieved 35–45% faster support response time.
B2B Channel Launch — Launched a parallel B2B store on a separate domain with wholesale pricing logic and catalog management.
Catalog Architecture — Managed pricing, variants, and licensing logic while maintaining 100% licensing accuracy during rapid catalog scaling.
Results
- $0 → 7-figure annual revenue in under 12 months
- 15–25% CVR improvement through PDP and checkout optimization
- 20–30% AOV increase via bundles and Starter Kits
- 35–45% faster customer support response
- 100% licensing accuracy maintained while rapidly scaling
- Successfully launched DTC + B2B dual-channel strategy
Key Takeaway
Varsity Gripz demonstrates what happens when CRO is built into a store from Day 0 — not bolted on after the fact. Starting with conversion-first architecture, proper analytics, and a systematic optimization process meant the store was built to scale from the beginning.
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