The problem
Apex Gum is a premium consumer brand, and a premium brand cannot look like a stock theme. The brief was a store that feels distinctive, shows the product with energy, and still loads quickly on a phone, because motion-heavy stores are often the slowest ones.
A ready-made theme would have limited the layout, forced compromises on the product pages and carried code the store would never use. Most themes are built to suit many different shops, so they ship with options, scripts and styles that any one store only uses a fraction of. Every extra script is something a shopper's phone has to download and run before the product appears.
The real challenge was balance. Scroll animation and interactive product displays make a page memorable, but they also add weight. We needed a build where the motion had a job to do, and where speed was treated as a design requirement from day one, not a clean-up task at the end.
What we built
We built the theme from scratch on Shopify 2.0 using Liquid, so every page is made of sections and blocks the team can rearrange in the theme editor without a developer. Starting from a blank theme meant we only wrote the code this store needed.
- Custom sections throughout: hero, product showcases, benefits, social proof and collection layouts
- GSAP-based scroll animations that guide attention to the product instead of slowing the page
- Interactive product displays that let shoppers explore the product before they buy
- Performance work from the first commit: lean JavaScript, lazy-loaded media and no unused app code
Building with sections and blocks matters after launch as much as before it. When a campaign needs a new landing layout, the brand team can assemble it from existing pieces instead of waiting for a developer.
Animation was added last and tested on mobile, so the effects support the product and never block the buy button. If an effect made a page feel heavy, it was simplified or removed. Our Shopify development work follows the same rule on every theme.
The result
The store launched on a fully custom theme with an animated, brand-led product experience and a codebase that is light because nothing in it was copied from a general-purpose theme.
The brand team can edit pages themselves through Shopify's section system, so day-to-day changes do not need a developer. Because the theme was written for this one store, it is also easier to maintain: there is no unused code to work around when something needs to change.
This is the approach we take when a brand wants a store that looks like itself and still performs on a phone.
For prospects weighing a custom theme against a ready-made one, the trade-off is simple. A custom build costs more thought up front, but it avoids paying for features the store will never use, and it gives the brand control over how every page looks and behaves.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a custom Shopify theme take?
A Shopify fix or plugin usually takes 1-2 weeks. A full store build usually takes 4-8 weeks. A custom theme built from scratch is normally scoped as a full store build, and we confirm the timeline after a free discovery call.
What does a custom Shopify theme cost?
Pricing is project-based. We give a fixed quote after a free discovery call, once we understand the scope.
Will animations slow my store down?
They can if they are added carelessly. We add animation last, test on mobile, and keep JavaScript lean and media lazy-loaded, so effects support the product page instead of competing with it.
Can my team edit the store without a developer?
Yes. We build with Shopify 2.0 sections and blocks, so your team can rearrange and edit pages in the theme editor. New section types or layouts still need development work.