Driving Global Growth

How Velocity Marketing Accelerated GMV for Leading Apparel and Luxury Brands

About this case study

Industry expertise

Apparel, Luxury

Market

GLOBAL

Working with ESW’s Velocity Marketing Services felt like having an extension of our in-house team. Their localised expertise allowed us to confidently enter new markets while keeping our brand identity intact. It’s rare to find a partner who balances efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and performance so well.

Head of Digital Marketing at Global outdoor lifestyle brand

The results

Multiple clients in the apparel and luxury industries saw significant YoY GMV growth in key international markets, outperforming both their competitors and their previous results.

Velocity Marketing Services consistently delivered superior outcomes, with clients achieving remarkable growth in both established and new markets.

Implementing tailored strategies, optimised campaigns and sustained engagement drove success, demonstrating the power of cross-border marketing expertise.

About our clients

ESW’s Velocity Marketing Services clients are global retail brands in the luxury, apparel, beauty and lifestyle industries. Each client aims to enhance their international presence and overcome challenges in entering new markets. They are focused on optimising marketing strategies and driving significant growth through efficient cross-border ecommerce solutions.

With geographic headquarters primarily in Europe and North America, our clients operate direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels and require consistent branding, exceptional shopper experiences and sustained international growth with enhanced brand recognition. While many initially rely on in-house solutions to control perceived costs and maintain independence, they often turn to ESW to accelerate speed-to-market and navigate the complexities of global expansion effectively.

The challenge

Each of our clients wanted to expand their international presence but encountered substantial obstacles in scaling ecommerce operations. The primary challenges included:

Underperforming marketing efforts: Many clients struggled with stagnant growth in international markets due to limited expertise and a lack of localised strategies.
Inefficient resource allocation: Agencies often failed to deliver consistent ROI, leading to high costs with minimal results.
Scaling growth internationally: Clients sought a partner who could efficiently deliver measurable growth while tailoring campaigns to diverse markets.
Strategic marketing guidance: They required comprehensive marketing management aligned with their expansion goals.

The solution

To address the challenges, ESW’s Velocity Marketing Services offered a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to each client’s needs. Our marketing and UX services teams played key roles in driving international growth, managing key regions including Germany, Austria, France, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. The strategic approach included:

Integrated campaign management: Leveraging platforms like Google, Meta and Criteo, ESW executed campaigns to increase brand awareness, engagement and conversions. Using a “lift-and-shift” approach, we repurposed domestic assets with localised tweaks, enabling quick, cost-effective market entry while maintaining brand consistency. Over time, ESW worked with clients to expand market-specific assets, which further enhanced campaign performance.
Market-specific expertise: Localised marketing efforts resonated with target audiences in key regions, enhancing brand visibility and engagement.
Continuous optimisation: A/B testing, dynamic promo messaging and data-driven asset refinement ensured campaigns consistently delivered top-tier performance.
Insights and analytics: Weekly and monthly reports provided actionable insights, KPIs and recommendations to refine strategies and adapt to market dynamics.

“Our goal at Velocity Marketing Services is to make international expansion as seamless as possible. By leveraging a lift-and-shift approach, we help retailers repurpose their domestic creative assets for new markets, optimizing them for local relevance. This method keeps costs low, accelerates speed-to-market, and ensures retailers can scale globally without sacrificing brand identity or control.

Matt Giggengrove, Head of Velocity Marketing Services at ESW

Measurable success

With ESW, our clients have seen amazing results.

Specialised outdoor and sports accessories brand

+219% YoY GMV growth in the Netherlands: Marketing outperformed other brands in the same market, achieving 219% YoY growth compared to the next closest competitor at 39%.

This growth was maintained through optimised campaigns and consistent engagement strategies.

+544% YoY GMV growth in the United Kingdom: Leveraging Velocity Marketing Services’ expertise, our client saw exponential growth, positioning them as a market leader. Our campaigns outperformed all other marketing efforts in the region during this period.

+509% growth with Velocity Marketing Services compared to -68% and -87% YoY declines without Velocity Marketing Service: The stark difference in results highlights the effectiveness of Velocity Marketing Services’ strategies. Client performance dropped significantly when campaigns were taken in-house.

Global outdoor lifestyle brand

+138% YoY GMV growth in Canada: With our support, our client experienced transformative growth in the first half of the year, far surpassing pre-ESW levels.

Multi-brand online retailer specialising in curated fashion

+151% YoY GMV growth in the UK: Tailored strategies delivered exceptional results, cementing our client’s presence in competitive markets.

Australian women’s fashion retailer

During the first three years with ESW Velocity Marketing Services, our client achieved remarkable success in the UK market compared to other brands of similar size:

Year 1: +3,513% YoY GMV growth: Starting from €16,902 GMV before partnering with ESW, our client reached €610,600 GMV in their first year, driven by strategic campaigns and efficient market entry.

Year 2: +95% YoY GMV growth: Building on this momentum, our client more than doubled its performance, achieving €1.19M GMV through enhanced marketing strategies and sustained engagement.

Year 3: +65% YoY GMV growth: By the third year, our client solidified their presence, achieving €1.97M GMV while maintaining a steady upward trajectory in the competitive UK market.

US-based apparel retailer specialising in performance hunting gear

+6% YoY growth in Velocity-managed markets: After an initial $100K proof of concept in small non-English markets, our client saw +6% YoY growth, outperforming agency-managed markets that experienced a -10% YoY decline.

+30% YoY growth in international markets: With ESW Velocity Marketing Services managing campaigns in 36 international markets, our client achieved +30% YoY growth, surpassing domestic market growth of +20% YoY.

+68% YoY growth in the UK: Velocity Marketing Services’ strategies drove +68% YoY growth, outperforming all other brands in the region.

+33% YoY growth in Australia: Our client achieved +33% YoY growth, surpassing competitors without Velocity Marketing Services in the AU market.

American lifestyle brand

+46% YoY GMV growth in Canada: Velocity marketing activations drove a significant YoY uplift, sustaining higher sales even post-campaign.

UK-based luxury fashion and accessories brand

+1% YoY GMV growth in France: With Velocity Marketing Services, our client saw a +1% YoY increase, reversing a -39% decline in the first half of the year.

+63% YoY GMV growth in the US: Leveraging ESW’s Velocity Marketing Services, our client achieved a +63% YoY increase, a significant turnaround from the -4% decline from the first half of the year.

+41% YoY GMV growth in the US, Ireland and France: With Velocity Marketing Services, our client experienced a +41% YoY increase across these regions, turning around an -11% decline from earlier in the year.