Cabana Magazine: Bringing editorial vision to life
To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Cabana Magazine—a prestigious design and lifestyle publication—opened its first physical store in Milan's prestigious Quadrilatero della Moda. Founded in 2014 by Martina Mondadori, Christoph Radl and Gianluca Reina, Cabana began as an inspirational interior design publication before evolving into one of Italy's most loved lifestyle brand.
This intimate 100-square-meter boutique extends the magazine's curated aesthetic into a tangible retail experience, embodying what Mondadori calls "Casa Cabana"—a space inspired by her childhood home designed by Renzo Mongiardino. Here, the brand's editorial vision materializes through a carefully selected array of artisanal objects, vintage finds, and curated books.
Cabana was born as a bold statement in the digital age, embracing print to express a distinctive, editorial-driven aesthetic. With the opening of its boutique in the heart of Milan, the brand takes its vision a step further—transforming its curated world into an immersive physical experience. The store brings the essence of the Cabana universe to life: a space where style, emotion, and storytelling converge, inviting visitors to discover, touch, and take home pieces of the brand's unmistakable identity.
With Shopify POS powering their retail operations, Cabana has achieved:
- 50% reduction in manual inventory tracking time
- 30% improvement in transaction speed
- Staff fully trained on Shopify POS in under a day
Challenge
When Cabana decided to bring their editorial vision into the physical world, they faced the challenge of creating a retail experience that would live up to their magazine's reputation for impeccable curation and attention to detail. Their diverse inventory—ranging from one-of-a-kind vintage furniture to limited-edition tableware—demanded a sophisticated point-of-sale system that could handle unique items while maintaining the intimate, high-touch service their clientele expected.
The boutique needed to feel like a natural extension of the Cabana brand, not just another retail space. This meant finding a POS solution that could deliver a seamless checkout. Further, they needed the visibility of data to provide a high-end in-store experience.
Solution
Through collaboration with Shopify partner agency Evocon, Cabana implemented Shopify POS to power their boutique shopping experience. The platform enabled a unified approach to commerce, empowering the Cabana team to create a seamless connection between their online presence and physical store.
To bridge its established strong online presence with its first physical store, Cabana implemented Shopify POS to achieve a unified commerce experience. This integration allows for seamless omnichannel operations, ensuring that in-store and online interactions are connected.
Store associates can access the complete product catalog through Shopify POS, offering customers items that might not be physically present in the boutique. This "endless aisle" approach means the limited square footage of their Milan location never constrains what customers can discover and purchase. Through this powerful POS feature, customers in the boutique can browse the full inventory, including items available online but not physically on display, with staff able to arrange direct shipping. With Shopify Payments integrated, staff can complete sales without disrupting the carefully crafted atmosphere of the store.
One of the key challenges was integrating a seamless checkout experience within a space that prioritises atmosphere and storytelling. Shopify POS allowed us to deploy a flexible setup—blending mobile checkout hardware with minimal visual footprint. Our biggest win was configuring a system that handles both bespoke and high-volume SKUs effortlessly, ensuring the boutique's aesthetic and flow remain uninterrupted.
Furthermore, unified customer profiles link online and in-store purchase history, enabling Cabana to offer tailored recommendations and follow-up service, regardless of the purchase channel. By integrating a seamless and intuitive commerce platform, Cabana ensures that every purchase feels like a natural extension of the brand's editorial world. This approach not only enhances the customer experience but also leverages Cabana's digital footprint to enrich the physical shopping journey.
We designed The Cabana Store to feel like stepping into the pages of our magazine. Shopify POS, with Evocon's support, ensures that the experience remains effortless—from product discovery to checkout, every detail supports the brand's luxurious, editorial aesthetic.
Results
Shopify POS has transformed Cabana's retail operations while preserving the quality of their customer experience. The manual inventory tracking time has decreased by 50%, freeing staff to focus on customer interactions rather than administrative tasks. This shift has been crucial in maintaining the personalised service that distinguishes Cabana from conventional retail environments.
With Shopify POS, Cabana has achieved a 30% faster checkout process compared to traditional retail systems they had initially benchmarked. The mobile hardware configuration and streamlined interface eliminate common bottlenecks, allowing staff to complete transactions anywhere in the store with fewer steps. In a boutique where the customer experience is paramount, this efficiency ensures the final purchase moment enhances rather than interrupts the carefully crafted journey of discovery and inspiration.
Perhaps most valuable for a boutique dealing in rare and limited-quantity items, Shopify POS provides inventory visibility across channels. This prevents the disappointment of overselling one-of-a-kind pieces and maintains the trust that's essential when catering to discerning collectors and design enthusiasts. While the implementation of Shop Pay has streamlined checkout both online and in-store, enhancing the luxury experience Cabana's customers expect.
Unifying online and in-store inventory was essential for Cabana. We set up Shopify POS with centralised, real-time inventory tracking—so even if a product wasn't on display, store staff could immediately locate it or ship it from another channel. This eliminated manual cross-referencing and significantly reduced overhead, allowing staff to focus entirely on the customer experience.
The intuitive nature of Shopify POS has also streamlined operations behind the scenes. New staff members can now be fully trained on the system in under a day, helping to accelerate tool adoption. This rapid onboarding helps to maintain consistent and informed customer interactions that are central to Cabana's retail philosophy. In the background, Shopify Flow automates routine tasks like inventory alerts and order processing, freeing the team to focus on curation and customer relationships.
By choosing Shopify POS as the foundation of their retail experience, Cabana has successfully translated their editorial vision into a physical space without compromising on quality or attention to detail. The technology works quietly in the background, allowing the products, the space, and the brand story to remain in focus—exactly as a luxury retail experience should be.
Shopify POS allows us to seamlessly blend our cultural offerings—our magazines and curated books—with our design products and limited-edition collections. The technology works quietly behind the scenes, letting our unique vintage pieces and artisanal collaborations take center stage while still connecting our physical and digital presence into one unified commerce experience.
