Barbone
Shopify migration, design and development for an established barbering brand.
The Hobby Forge
Launching a new omnichannel tabletop gaming retailer
The Hobby Forge launched as a new tabletop gaming brand combining ecommerce with a physical retail store, dedicated gaming rooms and community events. I designed and developed the Shopify store, integrated the physical retail operation and supported the wider ecommerce launch.
Client overview
Founded in 2025 by Stuart and Oliwia Webster, The Hobby Forge is a family-run tabletop gaming retailer built around a shared passion for wargaming, trading card games and the wider hobby community.
Alongside products from Games Workshop, Warhammer, Magic: The Gathering and other hobby brands, the physical store includes dedicated gaming space, events and memberships designed to create a local hub for players, collectors and hobbyists.
Project overview & objectives
The business was launched as a new brand rather than an ecommerce redesign, so the project needed to establish both the online storefront and the systems connecting ecommerce with the new physical retail operation.
I designed and developed the Shopify store, configured marketplace channels and integrated ConnectPOS to support stock and sales across the online and in-store customer experience.
Shopify development
Building the ecommerce store around a new retail brand
Shopify provided a practical foundation for launching the new ecommerce business without introducing unnecessary platform complexity during an already substantial physical retail launch.
My Shopify development work covered the design and implementation of the storefront, creating an online experience that could support a broad and growing tabletop gaming catalogue.
The site also needed to reflect the wider purpose of The Hobby Forge: not simply an online shop, but a physical destination for games, events and community.
Omnichannel retail
Connecting Shopify with the physical store and marketplaces
The ecommerce store was only one part of the launch. The business also needed its online catalogue to work alongside sales through the physical shop and third-party marketplace channels.
I configured and integrated ConnectPOS to connect the Shopify storefront with the in-store retail operation, providing a more joined-up approach to products, stock and customer transactions.
Marketplace channels were also configured as part of the wider ecommerce setup, allowing The Hobby Forge to reach customers beyond its own website while retaining Shopify as the core ecommerce platform.
Ecommerce consultancy
Supporting the launch beyond the website
My involvement also included ecommerce consultancy around the wider launch, helping shape decisions across the Shopify setup, marketplace strategy and relationship between the ecommerce and physical retail operation.
For a new business launching multiple sales channels at the same time, keeping the technology proportionate and manageable was particularly important.
The result was a Shopify-based ecommerce foundation capable of supporting the online store, physical retail operation and wider marketplace presence from launch.
