Single-brand specialty vs full-range footwear retailer, how does the build differ?

Two very different architectures:

Single-brand specialty (think Allbirds, Rothy’s, On Running, Brooks DTC, Hoka DTC, Red Wing DTC):

• Small catalog (50-500 SKUs), tight brand control, no brand-portal compliance work.
• Focus on storytelling + fit education + sustainability narrative.
• Hyvä for performance is non-negotiable (LCP, INP).
• AR for try-on + 3D PDPs (one partner choice, well-integrated).
• Returns automation simple (single-brand fit data, no “Hoka vs Brooks” confusion).
• B2B is wholesale-out (Joor for boutique placement, EDI for major retailers like Foot Locker, REI, Dick’s).
• Build complexity: moderate. $15k, $30k typical. 6-10 weeks.

Full-range footwear retailer (think Famous Footwear, Shoe Carnival, Schuh, Office, regional specialty chains):

• Massive catalog (5,000-50,000 SKUs across 50-200 brands).
• Brand-portal compliance is half the job (MAP enforcement, EDI feeds, allocation tracking).
• Fit data is brand-specific (“Hoka runs 0.5 large, Brooks runs 0.5 small, New Balance varies by model”) and has to live in the catalog.
• Multi-warehouse, multi-region above $5M.
• Returns automation needs brand-specific logic (different policies per brand contract).
• Authenticated pre-owned can be added (multi-brand resale a la StockX).
• Build complexity: high. $50k, $150k typical. 14-28 weeks.

Single-brand specialty fits Magento + Hyvä cleanly above ~$2M GMV. Multi-brand retailer fits Magento almost regardless of size because the catalog complexity + brand-portal compliance breaks every other platform fast. If you’re a multi-brand retailer on Shopify Plus and hitting brand-portal limits or the 100-variant ceiling, the migration to Magento pays back inside 12 months in margin recovery from MAP enforcement + tighter returns automation + drop-release reliability.