UNITE Hair
Revitalizing UNITE Hair's Pro B2B Storefront and Expanding the BackBar Rewards System
Services
- Shopify Design & Development
- Theme Replatforming
- B2B eCommerce
- Tech Stack Audit and Optimization
- Rewards Strategy and Implementation
- Klaviyo Strategy and Automation
- Custom Workflow Automation
The Background
UNITE Hair is a premium haircare brand trusted by both consumers and professional stylists, operating across two distinct digital experiences: a direct-to-consumer storefront and a gated Pro platform.
As the business expanded, so did the complexity of managing these environments. Their D2C site was built on an outdated theme that limited flexibility, while the Pro experience relied on highly manual workflows to support a sophisticated rewards program.
Internal teams were burdened by time-intensive processes and lacked the flexibility to evolve the experience. With growing operational strain and the need to support key business milestones, UNITE Hair partnered with Avex to modernize their digital foundation, streamline operations, and create a scalable, unified commerce experience.
Tech Integrations
- Shopify Plus
- Klaviyo
- Sage
- Zapier
- Helium Customer Fields
The Approach
Avex rebuilt UNITE Hair’s digital foundation from the ground up, starting with a modular replatform of the D2C storefront to eliminate technical constraints and enable scalable growth. This included auditing the existing tech stack, removing redundant applications, and introducing more efficient, custom solutions.
That foundation was then extended to the Pro environment, where we introduced account-based gating and dynamic content tied to authentication and structured customer data.
The most complex challenge was reengineering the BackBar rewards system, which operated on strict rules around monthly spend, tier progression, expiration, and product-level redemption. No single platform or partner could support this logic end-to-end without compromise, so we architected a hybrid system across Klaviyo, reporting tools, Shopify customer data, and middleware.
Rather than forcing a rigid solution, this approach allowed us to fully preserve the program’s logic while transforming a manual process into an automated, scalable system.
Modernizing the D2C Foundation
The D2C storefront was the first step in transforming UNITE Hair’s digital presence. The existing experience lacked flexibility and did not fully reflect the brand’s premium positioning. Avex replatformed the site using a modular framework, introducing custom modules and refined components that aligned more closely with the brand’s identity and content strategy. This allowed the team to create richer storytelling moments while maintaining a clean, conversion-focused experience.
This foundation ultimately became the blueprint for the Pro storefront, enabling a more efficient and unified approach across both environments.
Unifying D2C & B2B
Following the success of the D2C replatform, UNITE Hair made the strategic decision to extend that experience to its Pro storefront. Rather than managing two entirely separate systems, the goal was to create a shared foundation that could support both audiences while accommodating their unique needs.
Avex migrated the D2C theme framework into the Pro environment, carefully separating shared components from Pro-specific functionality. This allowed us to maintain brand consistency while introducing critical B2B features such as gated access, account-based experiences, and content restrictions tied to customer status.
By leveraging a modular architecture, we reduced redundancy across both storefronts and enabled faster updates, cleaner integrations, and ongoing scalability. The result was a unified system that delivers a cohesive brand experience while supporting fundamentally different user journeys.
Reimagining a Complex Rewards Ecosystem
At the center of UNITE Hair’s Pro experience was the BackBar rewards program, a system designed to drive repeat purchasing through monthly spend-based incentives. While powerful in concept, it relied entirely on manual execution.
Each month, the team generated spend reports, assigned reward tiers, created and distributed gift cards, and managed segmentation across Shopify and Klaviyo. The program also required strict adherence to rules around monthly resets, tier thresholds, expiration windows, and product-specific redemption.
Avex rebuilt this system with a focus on reducing operational overhead. Rather than simplifying the logic, we preserved its full complexity while eliminating the manual effort behind it. By connecting Klaviyo, reporting systems, and Shopify customer data through a coordinated workflow, we enabled automated reward calculation, tier assignment, and distribution.
We also accounted for critical edge cases, including the ability to redeem rewards alongside active promotions and restricting redemption to specific product collections.
Powering Retention Through Automation
Klaviyo played a central role in both the original system and its transformation. Prior to Avex’s involvement, the platform was used as a manual distribution tool. The team relied on static segments and campaign sends to issue rewards, often after compiling monthly spend reports, assigning tiers, and generating gift cards manually within Shopify. This process was time-intensive, prone to error, and difficult to scale.
Avex restructured Klaviyo into an automated, event-driven system. By connecting customer data, spend calculations, and tier logic, we enabled flows that dynamically responded to user behavior. Rewards were triggered, assigned, and communicated in real time based on monthly spend, tier progression, and account attributes such as customer type and location.
This shifted Klaviyo from a manual execution layer into a fully integrated component of the loyalty engine.
Designing for Two Distinct User Journeys
With both D2C and Pro experiences operating on a shared foundation, the challenge was not just technical, but experiential. Each audience required a tailored journey while maintaining a consistent brand standard. Avex designed the D2C experience to prioritize discovery, storytelling, and conversion, while the Pro environment was built around efficiency, access, and reward visibility. This included implementing clear pathways for account approval, gated content access, and intuitive navigation for professional users.
These enhancements ensured that even a highly complex system felt simple, transparent, and actionable.
The Relationship
The success of the initial engagement established a foundation of trust that continues to drive the partnership forward. After launching the D2C experience, UNITE Hair expanded the scope to include their Pro storefront and ongoing optimization efforts. Avex continued working closely with the team to refine performance and evolve the BackBar rewards program over time. As the business scaled, we helped transition the program from a custom-built solution to a partner-based platform, ensuring it remained scalable, maintainable, and aligned with long-term growth.