Design Case Study
Our internal creative team at Hudson partnered with Shopify to bring the Empire State Building's iconic retail presence online — creating an e-commerce experience as distinctive as the landmark itself. The brief was clear: build a digital storefront that carries the prestige of one of the world's most recognizable buildings while delivering an intuitive, conversion-driven shopping experience for a global audience.
The central design challenge was building for the shopper who is already there — phone in hand, standing at the foot of one of the world's most visited landmarks. A mobile-first approach shaped every decision, from thumb-friendly navigation and fast-loading imagery to streamlined checkout flows optimized for small screens. With seven product categories spanning keychains and snow globes to exclusive Vineyard Vines apparel and Solvar jewelry, the experience needed to feel curated, not cluttered — meeting tourists, collectors, and gift-givers exactly where they are.
The team established a visual language rooted in the building's Art Deco heritage: bold typography, high-contrast full-bleed photography, and a restrained palette that communicates premium quality at a glance. Exclusive brand partnerships with Vineyard Vines and Solvar were given dedicated landing experiences within the store, reinforcing the uniqueness of the merchandise and supporting higher average order values.
Shopify's enterprise infrastructure gave the creative team a stable, scalable foundation to realize the vision without compromise. The results speak for themselves: the ESB Official Gift Store achieved a 32% uplift in online sales over its first year — a direct reflection of the impact that intentional, brand-aligned design has on commercial performance. By treating the digital store as an extension of the landmark experience rather than a transactional afterthought, Hudson and Shopify delivered a platform built to grow.
