Pioneer Electronics
Brief
Pioneer USA tapped Irish Titan to majorly overhaul their legacy CMS and disjointed Ecommerce platform to a modern, scalable, fully integrated platform: Shopify. This wasn’t (just) a facelift, it was a strategic pivot from a brochure site to a robust Ecommerce destination with future scalability in mind.
WHY:
Pioneer Electronics was ready to evolve beyond a fragmented and outdated online presence. Their legacy CMS (Vignette) and disjointed ecommerce platform (Kibo) no longer supported modern consumer expectations or Pioneer's broader D2C growth strategy. Pioneer USA sought to create a consumer-first digital experience while aligning with Pioneer's HQ in Japan, who had already adopted Shopify Plus. This was an opportunity to go from an information resource to a robust ecommerce site with the ability to scale to future markets (including Canada, B2B, and subscriptions).
In short, the goal was to build a modern ecommerce experience that could serve as the foundation for regional expansion, B2B operations, and long-term digital growth.
HOW:
From the get-go, it was clear this wasn’t a “one-and-done” kind of build. So, we helped Pioneer break the work into logical, manageable phases:
Phase 1: Launch a modern, responsive Shopify Plus site to house Pioneer USA’s product catalog, support materials, and brand presence.
Phase 1.5: Add D2C functionality—introducing Ecommerce paths for customers in the U.S.
Phase 2 (and beyond): Expand to Canada and prepare for future B2B enablement.
Phase 3: B2B Specific Launch, which operates almost as a second ecommerce experience, including…
Separate user flows (SSO, pricing, Syncs with SAP and Zoho)
B2B Specific integrations for catalogs, price lists, company assignments, payment terms, and tax handling
Role-based permissions
Dealer/distributor catalogs
Discounting logic (custom app + DynamoDB options)
SAP credit terms
ACH & wire payments
Custom workflows for district sales managers
Given that Pioneer Japan had already adopted Shopify, using Shopify Plus made strategic and operational sense. But platform selection was just the beginning.
To support Pioneer’s evolving global strategy, we leaned on Shopify Markets to power the Canadian site as a “brochure-first” experience—with Ecommerce capabilities planned for a future launch. At every step, we worked across time zones, across languages, and across teams to deliver a solution that met everyone’s expectations, from Minnesota to Tokyo.
Oh—and we didn’t just plug in apps. We pushed the platform as far as we could with custom development, stretching Shopify Plus to accommodate everything Pioneer needed (and a few things they didn’t know they needed yet).
WHAT:
Irish Titan launched a replatformed Pioneer USA website on Shopify Plus that:
Met hard deadlines (linked to Pioneer Japan’s fiscal cycle).
Built a complex project roadmap, with multiple channels, multiple phases in each channel, staying on time and on scope.
Balanced custom functionality with Shopify constraints.
Set a strong, scalable foundation for D2C and international growth.
Created infrastructure and architecture that supports multiple phases, future markets, and global rollout.
Created new avenues of revenue like B2B Ecommerce that Pioneer never had before
Key outcomes included:
A modular, iterative, and phased site rollout, starting with a resource hub.
Full ecommerce functionality launched in a second phase.
A brochure site for Canada with future ecommerce in the pipeline.
A fully functional B2B site on Shopify that streamlined ordering, enforced credit/payment rules, supported multi-location companies, and integrated with Pioneer’s existing SAP + Zoho stack.
Planned upgrades to third party technologies that are hand selected for Pioneer. Reviews and subscription services, setup and configuration based exactly on what Pioneer USA needs.
TECH STACK:
The tech stack was a collaborative decision between Pioneer and Irish Titan, influenced by Pioneer's HQ standards and Shopify Plus:
Shopify Plus - Core ecommerce platform - Selected by Pioneer Japan; flexible but added constraints to enterprise, B2B rollouts
Shopify Adapt & Translate + Shopify Markets - Internationalization for Canada - Managed translation and localization
Zinga - Custom customer database - Meant to serve as SSO via Shopify Multipass.
Salsify - Product Information Management (PIM) - Pioneer-supplied
Zoho Suite - CRM, email, live chat, forms, shipping - Required heavy integration and education
Loop Returns - Returns management - Standardized returns process for D2C
Rewind - Backups and staging - Data protection
PriceSpider - “Where to Buy” functionality - Third-party integration
Wholesale Pricing App - Tiered pricing by customer tag - Used for B2B groundwork
RESULTS:
The Pioneer USA site is live, and it’s sleek, modern, and finally geared toward online selling. The initial Phase 1.5 ecommerce launch enabled customers to buy directly from the site for the first time—paving the way for future D2C growth and campaign success.
In Canada, a bilingual brochure-style site now helps shoppers find information, download manuals, and locate retailers in their area. Ecommerce functionality is scoped for future rollout, with the groundwork already in place.
Custom-built functionality—like the CarFit Finder, dual-language tools, and support search—have elevated the user experience and aligned with Pioneer’s brand identity and customer expectations.
B2B is live with a fully integrated site that operates as its own, helping their sales team and customers with customized flows, SSO, pricing, integrations, and outcomes.
