The Bodega That’s Hidden in Plain Sight

If you’re strolling the streets in Boston and see Joe Manganiello or Cameron Diaz duck into an unassuming bodega, chances are they’re not just looking to grab a soda. Celeb “sneakerheads” have been making pilgrimages to Boston since 2006 when one of the top sneaker boutiques in the world opened its doors (so to speak).
Even when Bodega’s door is open, it’s not exactly easy to find. With no advertising or storefront signage, you have to be in-the-know to find the store’s hidden entrance: at the back of the fully-functioning convenience store and tucked behind a Snapple machine.
Why make it so tough to find? It’s part of the fun. Founders Dan Natola, Oliver Mak and Jay Gordon created Bodega to be “…a physical manifestation of the hunt for a great product,” as Mak explained in an interview with Complex. “And kind of have a safe room at the end of the tunnel where the best stuff you could find in the world was all in one place.”

 
The high-end streetwear brand creates its own draw with premium partnerships and limited product releases with big-name brands like Nike, Converse, Reebok, Puma, and Adidas. Bodega also released its own apparel line in 2012, on which it’s collaborated with designers including C.E and Fred Perry.
Bodega is committed to its identity of being “hidden in plain sight.” Its first four years in business, the brand didn’t even have a website. Super-targeted clientele managed to find the store, regardless, and by the time it launched an e-commerce site, Bodega was already an international success.
 

A Better Bodega

Bodega’s first e-commerce site was on Shopify, but the aging theme was slow to load and lacking in content management controls. The Bodega team came to Trellis for help with a site refresh: introducing a new theme with improved UX and greater blog control.
“It’s not really main street product,” explained Oliver Mak to Boston’s NBC affiliate station, “so rather than try and explain to the general populous, we just focus on really great things that make sense for our market and let that lead people here.”
“Our core DNA is always about the creativity of fashion through the lens of street,” Mak also explained to Sportwear International.

 
With its focused niche and vision, Bodega has been hugely successful in selling our product in mere minutes – for everything from its own branded merch to limited-edition sneakers and streetwear from brands around the globe.

The fastest possible loading times were a critical update for the brand’s e-commerce site going forward. Our design and development team delivered with an updated theme that also improves mobile responsiveness.
 
We integrated Nextopia to deliver more advanced search and filtering functionality and rebuilt the mega menu to make it more dynamic. Now Bodega’s online customers can find the exact product they’re looking for more quickly and easily (although they need to be lucky to catch it in-stock).

Cleaner product detail pages allow high-quality photography and product descriptions to shine.
 
The site also uses Shogun for greater content management functionality on the blog, making it easier for Bodega to develop content that reflects their creative vision and connects with their rabid fans.

It’s been an exciting start to 2019 for Bodega, with the new e-commerce site launch in January and early success at the brand’s second brick-and-mortar location in L.A. (good luck finding this one too.)
Bodega is a trendy brand that needed a site redesign to match its mission. Individual freedom is encouraged heavily by Bodega and this message is expressed throughout the new online store. Enhanced customization and filtration features look to make the Bodega online buying experience just as unique as shopping in store.
Whether its in-person or online, shopping at Bodega is an experience you will not want to miss out on!