Edge cases: single-brand boutique vs full-range outdoor retailer, does the approach change?

Yes, meaningfully.

Single-brand boutique (e.g. you sell only Hyperlite Mountain Gear, or you’re Cotopaxi or NEMO selling direct):

• No brand authorized-dealer portal complexity, you ARE the brand. Skip MAP enforcement, contract renewals, multi-brand admin views.
• Configurator depth matters more because catalog breadth is limited. The fit guide IS the conversion engine.
• Editorial + education content is critical, you’re competing on brand story, not on selection. Patagonia’s “Cleanest Line” blog is the template.
• Used + refurb (Worn Wear / Re/Supply pattern) is high-leverage because trade-in inventory is your own gear, perfect provenance, repairable, brand-aligned.
• Sustainability flags are table-stakes, your customer base expects them.
• Magento + Hyvä is appropriate at $1M+ GMV. Shopify Plus works fine below.

Full-range outdoor retailer (e.g. you’re a regional independent like Wild Adventures Outfitters or you compete with Backcountry / Moosejaw):

• Brand authorized-dealer portal layer is the entire game. 8-15 brand contracts each with different MSRP rules, region restrictions, and contract renewals.
• Catalog breadth is the conversion engine, not depth. SEO on long-tail (“NEMO Hornet 2P 2024 review”, ranks beat single-brand-boutique competitors).
• Gearhead-style chat model (see Q9) is a moat. Pays for itself at $5M+ GMV.
• B2B / outfitter wholesale layer matters, selling to guide services, scout troops, summer camps.
• Channel-manager integration (Channel Advisor / Codisto) for marketplace push to REI, Sierra, Outdoorplay, Bass Pro Shops.
• Magento + Hyvä is the only realistic platform above $5M GMV. Shopify Plus ceiling hits hard on brand-portal complexity.

Mid-case (e.g. you carry 4-6 brands, $2M, $8M GMV): Magento makes sense if any of: brand portal contracts active, used + refurb in scope, multi-region, B2B layer planned. Shopify Plus survives if all four are no.