The UK's own build your own bear store
Client
Be My Bear
Sector
Hobbies & Entertainment
Platform
Magento 2
Project Time
6 Months
113%
Conversion Rate Uplift
A complete redesign and migration to Magento 2 more than doubled the conversion rate: even as pandemic traffic declined.
5%
Increase in Average Order Value
Strategic upsells and cross-sells throughout the customer journey encouraged higher-value purchases without disrupting the experience.
4%
Reduction in Bounce Rate
A faster, more engaging site kept visitors exploring rather than leaving.
A Long Partnership, a New Platform
Be My Bear is the original build-anywhere-bear kit company, make-a-bear kits that let children of all ages create their own cuddly toy wherever they like. It’s a product people love, sold directly to consumers and to wholesale and retail customers across the UK.
Actuate had been working with Be My Bear for over a year, having originally helped them migrate from CS-Cart to Magento 1, a move that delivered huge improvements and significantly healthier sales. The relationship was built on trust and results.
But Magento 1 had a shelf life. When Magento 2 arrived, it presented the perfect opportunity to do more than just migrate. It was a chance to completely rethink the online experience, redesign the site around the customer, and build a platform that could serve both their B2C and B2B audiences from a single system.
The timing wasn’t ideal. The project kicked off during lockdown, on a platform that was brand new to the market. But sometimes the right time to build is when everything else is standing still.
A Brand That Needed to Feel Like the Product
Be My Bear’s products are colourful, fun, and designed to create memories. The old website didn’t reflect any of that. The migration to Magento 2 wasn’t just a technical upgrade. It was an opportunity to build a digital experience that felt as warm and engaging as the product itself.
Through extensive wireframing and design sprints, we developed a look and feel that encapsulated the brand. The key decisions weren’t just aesthetic. They were strategic.
Child-Friendly Design with Purpose
The colour palette was deliberately chosen in soft, welcoming tones that create a calm, engaging environment, designed for a site where parents and children often browse together. But these weren’t purely visual choices. The colours improved readability, helped guide users intuitively through the site, and created a clear visual hierarchy that made navigation feel effortless. Bright imagery and clear calls to action kept visitors moving forward without overwhelming them.
Dual B2C and B2B Storefronts
Be My Bear sells to two very different audiences, direct consumers buying bear kits for parties and gifts, and wholesale customers ordering in bulk for retail. Rather than forcing both audiences through the same experience, we built separate storefronts on a single Magento 2 instance. One system, two tailored experiences, each designed for how that audience actually shops. The team manages everything from one backend, with separate pricing, catalogues, and customer journeys for each channel.
A Brand-New Experience on a Brand-New Platform
Actuate had already helped Be My Bear migrate from CS-Cart to Magento 1, delivering significant improvements. When Magento 2 arrived, we used the migration as an opportunity to completely rethink the online experience rather than simply swapping platforms. Through extensive wireframing and design sprints, we developed a look and feel that captured the warmth and fun of the product: soft, welcoming colour palettes chosen for readability and visual hierarchy as much as aesthetics.
The most significant architectural decision was building dual B2C and B2B storefronts on a single Magento 2 instance. Consumer customers buying bear kits for parties and gifts get one tailored experience; wholesale customers ordering in bulk for retail get another. Separate pricing, catalogues, and customer journeys, all managed from one backend. We also built downloadable party pack functionality, deeper loyalty features, and integrated StoreFeeder for seamless warehouse management across both channels.
Cross-selling and upselling were woven throughout the customer journey at key decision points, driving a 5% increase in average order value. The entire project was delivered during lockdown, on a platform that was brand new to the market. And the site more than doubled the conversion rate despite pandemic traffic declines.
Downloadable Party Packs and Loyalty
Bear-making party kits are a core part of the product range, and we built functionality that let the team manage downloadable party packs directly through the platform. Alongside this, we developed deeper loyalty features and made running site promotions simple and intuitive, giving Be My Bear the tools to reward repeat customers and drive engagement across both storefronts.
Smart Upsells and Cross-Sells
We integrated upselling and cross-selling throughout the customer journey, not just on the product page, but at key decision points where customers are most receptive. Visitors could discover complementary items to go with their bear kit, or upgrade to a more premium version, all presented as helpful, relevant suggestions rather than a hard sell. The result was a 5% increase in average order value, more revenue per transaction without compromising the shopping experience.
What did this mean for Be My Bear?
A six-month build during lockdown, on a platform that was brand new to the market, delivered a site that more than doubled the conversion rate. The partnership between Actuate and Be My Bear, spanning from CS-Cart through Magento 1 and into Magento 2, demonstrates what’s possible when an agency understands a business deeply and builds for how their customers actually shop.
1
A Digital Experience That Matches the Brand
Colourful, engaging, and designed for families, the new site finally reflected the warmth and fun of the product itself, creating an experience that customers wanted to spend time in.
2
One Platform Serving Two Audiences
Separate B2C and B2B storefronts on a single Magento 2 instance gave Be My Bear the ability to serve both audiences with tailored experiences, without the complexity and cost of running two separate systems.
3
Higher Conversions From Every Visit
A 113% conversion uplift, a 5% AOV increase, and a 4% bounce rate reduction: achieved during a pandemic, with lower traffic, on a brand new platform. The fundamentals were right, and the numbers proved it.
