How "and ST" reduced loading times by 2 seconds with Speed Kit

Why did "and ST," which generates the vast majority of its sales through its mobile app, decide to optimize its web speed now? Discover the behind-the-scenes story of how they broke through system limitations with the implementation of Speed Kit, pushing the internal approval process forward by prioritizing "overwhelming perceived speed" over mere numbers. This is a must-read case study for e-commerce managers struggling with app-heavy strategies.

"Due to the structure of the e-commerce system, further improvement in display speed is difficult." For years, many marketers have been told this by vendors, forcing them to give up.

Mr. Masashi Iizuka of and ST HD Co., Ltd., which operates the fashion platform "and ST," faced the same wall. As the shift to apps progressed and the majority of sales came through the app, the "browser (web) experience" tended to be left behind.

However, a certain data analysis overturned that perception. And what broke through the wall of the internal approval process for implementation was not a complex ROI formula, but the "overwhelming difference in perceived speed" shown right in front of the management team.

In this article, we explore the behind-the-scenes decision-making that dramatically improved the web customer experience through the shortest route while concentrating development resources on the app.

"To be honest, the browser version of the site had been 'left behind' for a long time," Mr. Iizuka reflects on the situation before the implementation.

Like many apparel e-commerce sites, the sales composition ratio at and ST is overwhelmingly dominated by the "app." Since highly loyal customers use the convenient app, it was a natural management decision to prioritize internal development resources and marketing budgets for the app.

Regarding the existing website (browser version), even when they consulted their package vendor for improvements, the response was, "We are doing everything we can, such as CDNs and image compression. Further speed optimization is structurally difficult." The reality was that they had half given up, thinking "it can't be helped."

However, a newly conducted, detailed data analysis raised an alarm about that assumption. While the vast majority of sales came through the app, looking at the "number of site visitors (UU)," the browser accounted for the majority.

"Many new customers and customers coming from search engines first visit the browser version of the site. A large portion of the visitor traffic (UU) comes through the browser. If the experience at this 'entry point' is not comfortable, it will not lead to app downloads or turning them into fans down the line. The main source of sales is the app, but we decided that improving browser speed is an essential investment to smoothly guide customers to that app," says Mr. Iizuka.

The challenge was clear, but they were unable to identify a solution.. They couldn't allocate engineer resources away from app development. It was at this time that "Speed Kit," proposed by Gaprise, emerged as a candidate.

Normally, the process of introducing a new tool involves comparing several companies, but this time, the selection proceeded "without a detailed level comparison." The reason is clear. First, it already had a rich track record of implementation in the same industry, such as major apparel companies. Second, Mr. Iizuka himself had heard the reputation through his network within the industry that "it actually became faster."

"The fact that it was actually producing results, rather than just being a sales pitch, was the greatest source of trust. Moreover, since Speed Kit can be implemented as a SaaS model, it can be deployed without taking up almost any internal development hours. For us, whose hands were full with app development, there was no other condition that matched so perfectly," says Mr. Iizuka.

What Broke Through the Approval Barrier Was Not "Numbers" But a "Video"

The biggest climax towards implementation was the internal decision-making process. The results of the PoC (Proof of Concept) conducted in advance showed that the numerical improvement margin fell slightly short of the predetermined passing line, making it a very difficult result to judge.

"Looking only at the numbers, it was a borderline case that could easily have been rejected as 'not cost-effective.' But those of us who had seen it on actual devices were convinced. 'More than the numbers, the perceived speed is completely different.'"

Therefore, what Mr. Iizuka brought to the management meeting was not a detailed simulation document, but a comparison video showing the site operating "Before" and "After" implementation side by side.

The moment they saw that video, the management's reaction completely changed. "Was our current site really this slow...?"

Beyond the discussion of a few percentage points on paper, the intuitive judgment that "we must deliver this comfortable experience to our customers" drew the final Go sign.

The "Difference" Intuited by Management Also Appeared in the Numbers

While the decisive factor for internal approval was the "perceived speed," the underlying data was also dramatic. According to the PoC report, a significant reduction was recorded in the "LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)" metric, which indicates the time it takes for a user to recognize the main content of a page.

• Home (TOP page): 2.840 seconds → 0.935 seconds (1.905 seconds reduction)
• Product listing page: 1.675 seconds → 0.939 seconds (0.736 seconds reduction)

In particular, a speedup of "about 2 seconds" was achieved on the home screen, the face of the site, and "over 0.7 seconds" on the product listing page, which is essential for browsing. In the web world, these seconds represent a decisive difference between "making the user wait" and "opening instantly."

The "crisp and smooth feeling" that the management felt when watching the video was by no means their imagination, but the inevitable result brought about by this overwhelming numerical improvement.

Raising the Value of "Customer Experience" Across the Entire Industry

After implementation, the improvement in perceived speed was particularly remarkable on product listing pages with many images, laying the foundation for customers to browse products without stress.

Mr. Iizuka intends not to let this project end merely as a "speed improvement." "Now that we have secured the baseline speed, we want to realize a richer customer service experience on the web as well, especially for first-time visitors. We will strengthen the omnichannel experience that seamlessly connects our physical stores, app, and web."

Finally, we asked for a message to marketers facing the same challenges. "Just because your system is old or your app is the main focus, there is no need to give up on improving your web performance. Furthermore, a poor web experience leads to missed opportunities not only for your own company but for the apparel e-commerce industry as a whole. While the apparel market is shrinking due to population decline, I would like to raise the overall value of the industry while joining hands with our competitors."