Barneys’ editorial site, The Window, was attracting traffic but failing to convert visitors into buyers. The goal was to redesign the site for performance while maintaining the brand’s luxury identity.
We began by restructuring the content to prioritize conversion. High-intent editorial was featured at the top of the page. Stories were rebuilt with modular, shoppable components that guided users from scrolling to purchasing. Each story block included embedded product links optimized for both desktop and mobile, allowing readers to interact with products without leaving the narrative.
User experience was streamlined to remove friction. Load times were reduced, and navigation was simplified. Shoppable modules were dynamically populated based on performance data. This allowed readers to engage with products seamlessly as they consumed content, rather than having to click away to explore items.
Commerce and editorial were integrated at the system level. Content management system templates were rebuilt to support dynamic merchandising. Editors could now pair products with stories in real time, linking narratives directly to inventory and user behavior. This created an environment where products were presented naturally within the story without feeling like a hard sell.
Data informed every decision. A/B testing was conducted on headlines, layouts, and call-to-action placements. Heatmaps tracked scroll behavior and helped optimize story length for engagement. SKU-level revenue reports were pulled for each editorial piece, guiding the prioritization of content based on performance.
The results were measurable and significant. Editorial content drove between one and a half and two million dollars in attributed revenue. Time on page increased by thirty percent. Add-to-cart rates linked to content showed a clear uplift.
This redesign demonstrated that editorial could do more than tell stories.
By combining content with commerce and data-driven optimization, Barneys built an editorial engine that not only engaged readers but also delivered meaningful revenue and measurable impact.
