Swanky is Using Polar Analytics to Scale Enterprise Shopify Plus Brands

About Swanky

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Founded in 2010 in Exeter, UK, Swanky is a leading Shopify Plus agency specializing in ecommerce strategy, website design, development, and growth marketing. As one of the first three Shopify Plus Partners and now a Shopify Premier Partner, Swanky has played a pivotal role in shaping the platform’s ecosystem, helping scale-ups and enterprise brands unlock their full potential. Swanky offers a 360-degree suite of services, from store creation and migration to growth strategies and marketing. All of these help brands optimize and scale using data-driven strategies. With global offices in the UK and Australia, the agency provides 24/7 support to brands across multiple markets.

Swanky’s Disjointed Data and a Need for Scalable Tracking

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As Swanky expanded its work with high-growth brands, the team faced increasing challenges in consolidating data from multiple sources and making performance analysis seamless and scalable. While many agencies claim to be data-driven, Swanky has made it a core pillar of their approach.

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As Swanky’s Data and Analytics Manager, Tom Cox has been instrumental in revolutionizing the agency’s ability to analyze customer behavior, integrating cutting-edge analytics solutions to drive data-informed decision-making. He said,

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“When we onboard a new client, we go through tracking setup early on—whether that’s server-side tracking or the Shopify-bundled solutions. We want to make sure that from the moment a store launches, we’re capturing the right data and sending it to GA4, Google Ads, Meta, and of course, Polar.”

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Mia Willmott, Swanky’s Marketing Manager, plays a key role in driving strategic partnerships and positioning Swanky as a leader in data-driven growth. This structured approach is something that sets Swanky apart. She shared,

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“A newly onboarded project manager recently told me how refreshing it was to see tracking prioritized this early. For many agencies, data setup is an afterthought. For us, it’s built into our process.”

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Despite this commitment, Swanky faced growing challenges in scaling data management across multiple clients:

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• Disjointed Data Systems: Managing performance for clients with multiple Shopify stores across different regions required logging into separate platforms, manually aggregating data, and performing cumbersome currency conversions.
• Inefficient Reporting: Before Polar, Swanky relied on Google Sheets and other fragmented tools, leading to time-consuming and error-prone reporting processes.
• Attribution Complexity: Clients wanted to see clear touchpoints across customer journeys rather than relying on black-box attribution methods.
• Limited Retention Insights: While Shopify provides basic customer analytics, Swanky needed deeper retention and lifetime value (LTV) analysis to help clients optimize for profitability rather than just acquisition.

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The team had experience with various analytics providers but was looking for something more scalable. Polar Analytics emerged as the ideal solution. Tom explained, 

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"We've been using Polar for the last seven or eight months, and what's been really nice is that we’ve had lots of clients asking for year-end reports or QBRs, and the whole process has been so much easier because all the data is in one place. For some clients, we had to log into multiple platforms, copy things into spreadsheets, and even do manual currency conversions before. All of that is gone."

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How Swanky Automated Reports, Streamlined Attribution, and Unlocked Deeper Insights

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To tackle these challenges, Swanky implemented Polar Analytics, centralizing data, streamlining reporting, and providing deeper customer insights.

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Automated Reporting to Eliminate Spreadsheet Chaos

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The introduction of automated reporting eliminated the need for manual spreadsheet work. Swanky could now track sales, revenue by region, and marketing performance across platforms with ease. Slack and email automation provided real-time updates to internal teams and clients, ensuring they always had access to the most up-to-date performance data. Custom reporting capabilities made it easier to analyze trends without relying on time-intensive data pulls.

Using Order Journeys to Make Clearer Attribution

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One of the most significant improvements came from Polar’s Orders page, which provided Swanky with order-level tracking and a clearer view of attribution. Rather than relying on multiple disconnected reports, clients could now see the entire customer journey, understanding exactly how each marketing channel contributed to conversions. Tom explained,

"Attribution has always been a confusing topic, and there’s a natural distrust towards GA4 or other platforms. Clients just want to see under the hood, and Polar's Orders page finally makes that possible."

Using Retention & LTV Insights Beyond Acquisition

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Swanky also used Polar’s LTV and cohort analysis tools to identify retention trends. These insights led to the development of a loyalty program for a jewelry brand, designed to increase repeat purchases and long-term customer value. Tom mentioned,

"Being able to easily track returning vs. new customers helped us build retention strategies rather than just focusing on acquisition."

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Workspaces for Agency Efficiency

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Swanky advocated for and helped shape Polar’s Workspaces feature, which allows agencies to switch between multiple client accounts seamlessly. Tom shared,

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"Being able to switch between accounts is obviously really pertinent to an agency, and Polar was incredibly receptive to our feedback. The fact that it was turned around so quickly has made everyone's lives much easier. This was a huge need for us, and we’re glad that by pushing for it, we were able to help other agency partners as well."

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More Time, Better Insights, Smarter Decisions

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Since adopting Polar Analytics, Swanky has seen measurable improvements in efficiency and client performance. Reporting time has been reduced by 50%, allowing the data team to focus on strategic insights rather than manual data collection. With clearer attribution data from the Orders Report, Swanky has helped clients make more confident budget allocation decisions, ensuring that marketing spend is optimized for the most effective channels.

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Retention strategies have also improved, with Swanky leveraging Polar’s insights to implement loyalty programs and improve LTV for clients. The introduction of Workspaces has made managing multiple Shopify accounts more efficient, eliminating the friction that previously came with tracking different storefronts separately. Tom added,

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"Instead of debating the reliability of our data, we’re now having conversations about how to use data to drive business decisions. That shift has been crucial for both us and our clients."

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What’s Next for Swanky

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As Swanky evolves, the agency is supporting international businesses navigate digital transformation seamlessly with Shopify. By staying at the forefront of data innovation and strategic ecommerce growth, Swanky is helping brands scale with precision, efficiency, and confidence in the digital landscape.

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To support brands in optimizing their data strategy, Swanky is offering a free reporting and tracking consultation to identify gaps in your brand's data and analytics and provide actionable recommendations.

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Book a free consultation with Tom Cox through Swanky’s contact page, mentioning PolarxSwanky in the inquiry.

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“Data has underpinned so much of what we’ve done in the past, and we will continue to do so in the future with Polar as a key part of that strategy. We can’t move forward without understanding our clients’ evolving needs and the broader trends shaping ecommerce. Our goal is to use data to guide not just our own business decisions but also to help shape our clients’ strategies.”

- Mia Willmott, Marketing Manager | Swanky