Shifta
Shifta is the UK’s fastest-growing secondhand bicycle marketplace, created to improve the process of buying bicycles online and to bring affordable transport to more local communities.
The challenge
Shifta’s founders were preparing to launch a bicycle marketplace and approached Castlegate for a website that would serve both bicycle experts and recreational cyclists, impress early adopters, and withstand heavy traffic upon wider launch.
They wanted the website to include an element of gamification, so that customers could earn points as they browsed and redeem them in prize draws. Visually, the website had to reflect their disruptive ambitions while also conveying credibility to more traditional customers.
The solution
Castlegate designed and built a versatile multi-vendor bicycle marketplace that lets both individuals and shops register as sellers. Customers can buy new and verified secondhand bicycles and equipment, either bidding in auctions or checking out instantly.
Visitors can search and browse within multiple categories and filter by over 100 variables. The website also supports flexible delivery, letting customers select different shipping options from multiple vendors.
Across the platform, buyers and sellers earn points by logging in, listing items, or making purchases, and can enter their points into raffles to win prizes. We expanded Shifta’s basic colour palette to create a distinctive visual identity that matches their market-disrupting mission.
The results
- Shifta’s soft launch saw strong early adoption and positive feedback from customers.
- The website is accessible and appealing to bicycle specialists, casual customers, and secondhand shops.
- Gamification encourages repeat visits and generates revenue.
- The website supports hundreds of vendors and thousands of product listings while remaining highly performant to meet Shifta’s projected business growth.
“Working with Castlegate to bring our idea to life has been a pleasant experience, and the product they delivered far exceeds what we were hoping for. The team is very knowledgeable, professional, and creative. I could go through individually and sing everyone’s praises, but instead I’ll just say they are all great! We’re looking forward to building the site out further in the future.”
Bradley Mulhearn – Founder
Visit: shifta.bike
