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Alice Dawlat

Growth and Partnership director

[email protected]
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4051 Molson Street Suite 100, Montreal, QC, H1Y 3L1

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+1 514 281-8901
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[email protected]

Bringing modern commerce to the traditional world of coin collecting

Client
Royal Canadian Mint
Industry
Retail & Consumer Goods
Category
E-commerce
Ref
PMT-0721

Mandate

The Royal Canadian Mint gave us and our partners at Thinkmax the mission to transform its e-commerce platform into a true engine for growth for both B2B and B2C segments. The Mint was facing numerous challenges, largely due to a significant digital lag that was holding back its growth ambitions. These issues included an aging customer base, difficulty acquiring new clients and a high dependency on a small number of premium buyers.

Our challenge was to design a modern, conversion-focused experience that would appeal to both new and seasoned collectors. This required us to bring digital agility and innovation to a historic and complex institution.

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Results

  • +48%

    increase in revenue from new clients

  • +14%

    higher average order value

  • +30%

    increase in operational efficiency

"REF's strategic and creative contribution, along with its technical expertise, played a major role in the success of the Royal Canadian Mint. Its collaborative mindset and UX know-how were especially key in rallying key partners around a customer-centric approach."

- A.J. Colbourne – Director of E-Commerce and Marketing Communications, Royal Canadian Mint

Comprehensive user research was the starting point that allowed us to create detailed personas and map the existing customer journeys. This, in turn, gave us a clear understanding of both newcomers and expert collectors, as well as business and investor clienteles. This foundation helped us rework navigation, reduce friction points and establish a more inclusive experience for anyone curious about collecting.

Unified navigation to foster discoverability

Because some key B2B services also appeal to B2C clients, we streamlined the main navigation by reducing the number of top-level links and elevating previously hidden services in a new “Invest” section. This approach blurs the line between B2B and B2C, encouraging customers to explore both and helping the Mint maximize value.

A streamlined and accessible product catalog

To make product navigation less reliant on insider language and reduce the number of subcategories, we simplified product categorization through card sorting exercises. This approach helped streamline access to product detail pages, which increased conversion rates while also lowering the site’s environmental impact.

Our research revealed that a major barrier to purchase was the lack of knowledge among new users about the world of numismatics. Educational content was also difficult, if not impossible, to find on the existing site. We therefore built the “Learn More” section from the ground up : It’s visible, easily accessible and filled with a mix of evergreen and seasonal content relevant to all audiences: glossaries, buying and care guides, strategic tips and more.

Leveraging the coin’s stories

To capitalize on the compelling stories the Royal Canadian Mint has for each product, we crafted content-driven product pages that move beyond technical jargon. Detailed visuals further enhance the emotional connection with customers.

Research revealed that collectors have a significantly higher lifetime value than regular customers. To nurture this audience and grow the collector base, we deployed a range of tactics. This included using UX patterns to create a sense of scarcity and putting the renewed loyalty program under the spotlight. By doing so, we transformed the platform from a purely transactional site into an experience-driven e-commerce destination

Fuelling the thrill of the hunt

One of the key drivers of conversion for collectors was what we called “the thrill of the hunt,” which was their intrinsic need to complete their set and never miss a release. To build on that, we introduced features that let users manage a virtual version of their collection within their account and easily identify missing pieces. A recommendation module, which can be triggered across various pages, highlights these missing items.

Ease collection completion through automation

We also implemented a subscription feature for coin series, automating purchases whenever a new piece is released. Combined with a personalized CRM strategy, this ensures collectors are always informed of new launches and motivated to complete their sets.

To boost team velocity, we rolled out a fully modular design system. Each documented and reusable component streamlined daily operations, from content creation to managing collections. The result was a 30% gain in operational efficiency, enabling the Mint’s digital team to focus on innovation instead of firefighting.

The project united Mint teams, REF and Thinkmax. Our collaborative model and transparent communication ensured that deadlines were met and every party involved had a clear view of the mutual goal. The improved workflows and documentation that were put in place now vastly outlast the launch, empowering the Mint for sustained digital growth through the years.

Our role on the project

Strategy & Business

  • Content Architecture and Strategy
  • Project Management
  • Ecommerce Growth Strategy

Technology

  • Accessibility (WCAG compliance)
  • Martech and third party app integrations
  • Automated and manual QA
  • Optimizely
  • Vanilla JS
  • GSAP

Design

  • UI Design
  • UX Design
  • Content design and copywriting

More work

View all work