How does an Italian artisanal home linen brand achieve a turnover of €9.1 million by 2024 and 10x growth, just four years after it was founded?
Dalfilo's success story begins with a pandemic pivot that transformed crisis into opportunity. When COVID-19 plunged the hospitality industry into turmoil in 2020, skilled Italian artisans who had long supplied premium bed linens to Italy's finest hotels suddenly found themselves without their traditional market.
Two young Italian entrepreneurs, Davide and Matteo, recognised both a problem and an opportunity. They asked the simple but powerful question: "Why should hotels only have access to such high-quality bedding?" This insight became the foundation for Dalfilo, bringing previously exclusive, hotel-quality linens directly to consumers' homes. By connecting these master craftspeople directly with this emerging consumer demand, they created a brand focused on exceptional quality and superior customer experience.
Launched as a digital-first brand in early 2021, Dalfilo quickly embraced a direct-to-consumer (D2C) approach using Shopify, rapidly expanding online and offline with Shopify Plus and in physical retail stores with Shopify POS. Faced with explosive growth and the challenge of integrating emerging online and offline channels, Dalfilo chose Shopify's unified commerce solutions to create seamless customer experiences while supporting their ambitious international expansion across Europe.
With Shopify, Dalfilo has seen:
- +10x growth within 4 years using Shopify.
- +110,000 customers in 4 years across Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, and the UK.
- +10,000 reviews with an average of 4.6/5.
Challenge: Managing rapid growth with an omnichannel solution
Born as a digital-native brand in early 2021, Dalfilo couldn't have anticipated the whirlwind of growth that followed. As demand for their premium Italian linens surged, the young company found itself simultaneously managing skyrocketing online sales, entry into new international markets and the emergence of both B2B and physical retail opportunities.
Dalfilo needed an integrated, flexible platform capable of supporting both online (B2C and B2B) commerce and physical retail.
This rapid expansion created a complex operational puzzle. The brand needed a platform that could seamlessly integrate online and offline operations, manage inventory across all channels, and provide a unified view of its business. Dalfilo also managed separate B2C and B2B websites and needed a way to connect them within its digital infrastructure for efficient management.
Each new market brought unique requirements and customer expectations, threatening to multiply backend complexity and strain their resources. Dalfilo needed a solution that could scale with their ambitions without forcing them to rebuild their technical foundation with each new growth phase. Without an integrated commerce platform, they risked fragmenting their operations, compromising inventory accuracy, and ultimately diluting the premium customer experience that had fueled their initial success.
Solution: Unified Commerce, powered by Shopify
Recognising that the platform would be the backbone of their growth strategy, Dalfilo selected Shopify for its flexibility, ease of use, and seamless integrations. As their needs evolved, the brand upgraded to Shopify Plus, creating a unified commerce ecosystem that brought together every facet of their business.
From the outset, Shopify's customisation capabilities and seamless integrations provided the foundation Dalfilo needed. The platform became the central hub, consolidating its direct-to-consumer sales and "Dalfilo Business," a dedicated B2B portal serving hotels and B&Bs. This consolidation eliminated data silos and created a single source of truth for all sales channels.
Through seamless API integration with Oracle, Shopify solutions simplified inventory management and logistics, and optimised operations across a 1,000-square-metre warehouse. This integration ensured accurate stock levels across all sales channels while streamlining backend operations, a critical factor in supporting their rapid growth that ultimately resulted in an over 1,000% increase in business within four years and allowed them to reach more than 110,000 customers reaching more than 10,000 reviews with an average of 4.6/5.
Dalfilo wanted to build a fully integrated commerce system, and they could do that with Shopify. Shopify's native integrations with payment providers, third-party applications and CRM tools further help to streamline operations. Unified commerce brings together all of a store's sales channels and activities, giving merchants the power to enhance the customer experience.
By using a unified commerce platform, merchants can manage different areas of their business that are often handled separately, such as B2B and D2C sales, or domestic and international shipping. The advantage of a unified system is that all tools and features are integrated, so data from across business activities is shared and merchants get the best view of customers and inventory.
The real strength of Shopify is its immediate integration capability. In a rapidly growing startup, every minute counts. Shopify lets us focus on understanding the market and our customers, not on managing the platform
When Dalfilo opened their Milan flagship store in 2024, Shopify POS provided a natural extension of their digital experience. Store associates use tablets to process orders, payments, and customer information – ensuring a seamless experience between digital and physical retail.
Meanwhile, Shopify Scripts and Shopify Flow enable dynamic checkout customisation and sophisticated cross-selling strategies. Integrations like Klaviyo enhance retention marketing and customer support capabilities.
Results: 10x growth in 4 years
Dalfilo's unified commerce approach, powered by Shopify, has fueled remarkable results. The brand achieved over 1,000% growth in four years, reaching more than 110,000 customers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, and the UK. Shopify Plus integration streamlined operations, efficiently managing both D2C and B2B activities, optimising warehouse processes. The implementation of Shopify Flow significantly reduced workload through automation.
Shopify POS facilitated smooth entry into physical retail, establishing Dalfilo as a truly omnichannel brand. The immediate synchronisation between Shopify Plus and POS allowed the flagship store to launch without disruption.
Building on this foundation, Dalfilo is planning for further market expansion using Shopify Markets for the B2B channel, and are developing a dedicated online wholesale platform, fully integrated into Shopify Plus.
If I had to recommend Shopify, integration is undoubtedly key to rapid growth. It reduces technical overhead, allowing businesses to invest in direct customer relationships online and offline