Introducing the 2023 BigCommerce Make it Big Customer Award Winners

At BigCommerce, it’s our goal to help customers on our platform make it big. That’s why each year we highlight customers that are using BigCommerce to push the boundaries of ecommerce. 

It’s that time of year again where we ask our panel of judges to select the winners of the Make it Big Customer Awards.

This year, the panel included John Baker, CEO of Jack Game Room; Richard Gilbert, Director of Strategic Partnerships at PayPal; Eric Yonge, President and Creative Director of EYStudios; and Neha Shah, Senior Director of Customer Success at BigCommerce.

The Make it Big Customer Awards highlight and celebrate our customers’ achievements on our platform in four different categories: 

• Design: Recognizes brands with an out-of-this-world design and thoughtful customer experience. 

• Innovation: Highlights brands who are solving unique, technical ecommerce challenges by implementing innovative brand strategies and creative use of our platform.

• Emerging Brands: Recognizes brands that have made substantial achievements within the first three years of their operation.  

• Global Strategy: Awards brands that have made incredible strides in the areas of international selling, Multi-Storefront, and omnichannel ecommerce. 

“In today’s hyper competitive environment, brands need to stay agile and laser focused on growing their business by delivering the most compelling customer experience possible,” said Lisa Eggerton, Chief Marketing Officer at BigCommerce. “This year’s BigCommerce Make it Big Customer Awards celebrates exceptional brands that have put innovation and customer experience at the heart of their ecommerce experience. Congratulations to all of the winners.”

And now for the winners of the 2023 Make it Big Customer Awards. 

Design: Combat Corner

Established in 2007 by a team of professional fighters, Combat Corner has built its reputation as a premier martial arts equipment manufacturer by delivering some of the best value-for-money gear on the market.

Their site, built by BigCommerce Agency Partner Click Here Labs, utilizes a unique headless approach. The front-end is powered by React and WP Engine's Atlas Headless WordPress platform, while the back-end is all BigCommerce, resulting in a fast, efficient site that looks as good as it performs.

According to our judges, the Combat Corner site was “well organized with good photography and straightforward navigation.” It also had a “very professional execution that resolves very well on mobile.” 

Of all the entrants for the Design category, our judges noted that “Combat Corner had the best overall experience, with the most stylized merchandising and user experience.” 

Honorable mentions: 

• Root & Vessel 

• Flower Station

Innovation: London Tile Company

With over 60 years of experience, London Tile Company offers a hand-curated portfolio of the finest European-supplied tiles with competitive prices and unbeatable customer service.

They recently worked with BigCommerce agency partner 9XB to create a unique experience that allows customers to order up to three free tile samples without ever navigating to an actual product page. 

When it came to their website, our judges thought that “London Tile has interesting elements like a sticky header, striking photography, and a nice visual hierarchy.” They also said that the site was “sleek, visually appealing, and has an innovative design and navigation.”

Honorable mentions: 

• Pacific Coast Fruit 

• 1 of 100

Emerging Brands: Alpinistas

Alpinistas is an female-owned-and-operated online retail store where women who hike, climb, mountaineer, ski, splitboard, camp, backpack, and other outdoor activities can shop for high-quality, reliable apparel and gear from top outdoor brands.

They contribute 1% of their gains to support of women’s outdoor programs, and also have created the “Together We Move” Alpinistas scholarship, which helps underprivileged women learn more about mountaineering, backpacking, and climbing. 

Our judges thought that the Alpinistas site has “solid brand impression in logo and brand name. There’s also a nice assortment of products with a clean, simple interface.” They also lauded Aplinistas for their “thoughtful, effective category filtering.”

Honorable mentions: 

• Foxy Locks  

• Marbles of Mumbles

Global Strategy: New Zealand Natural Clothing

New Zealand Natural Clothing is a New Zealand-based, family-owned-and-operated manufacturer and supplier of premium natural fiber-based clothing in merino wool, possum, and crossbred wool.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they ramped up their online presence and began selling as far as the United States and continued thriving in Australia and New Zealand. 

Judges were impressed by the ability for customers to shop in an alternate currency. They also said that the site was “very professionally executed with beautiful photography, fonts, filtering, and navigation." 

Honorable mentions: 

• Tor-coatings

• Land Cruiser Heaven

The final word

Congratulations to all the winners of the Make it Big Customer Awards, and thank you to all of those who submitted their site for consideration. 2024 is looking like a big year for ecommerce, and we can’t wait to see how our customers continue to use BigCommerce to innovate and to make it big. 

If you were unable to enter this year, we’re always working to expand our list of eligible BigCommerce customers. Check back next year to see if your store is eligible to submit.