D2C ecommerce agency FAQ

Gara is a New York digital agency for D2C and fashion brands. Our services include Shopify website design and development, Klaviyo email and SMS marketing, Meta and Google paid ads, and ecommerce SEO, GEO and AIO. Headless storefronts are considered when a Shopify theme cannot meet the requirements.

Gara is based in New York City and works with D2C brands globally. Our team has worked with clients across industries, with the focus now on fashion, apparel, beauty, and lifestyle.

Gara was founded in 2026 and is an independent, privately held agency.

We use AI to support development and repetitive operational work, with strategy, creative decisions and quality control handled by the team. For Nish Niche, this included reorganizing Shopify product data and consolidating color variants into single listings. The tools and workflow depend on the project.

A custom Shopify theme is designed by us and built in Shopify's Liquid templating language, so your team edits pages with sections and blocks inside Shopify. A headless storefront runs a separate front end against Shopify's APIs, which suits deep integrations, POS and ERP systems, and unusual product logic. We recommend headless only when a theme can't do the job.

Yes. We move brands onto Shopify or off a template theme onto a custom build, including products, collections, variants, content, redirects, and the integrations that sit around the store.

Yes. We run paid ads on Meta, Google Ads, and ChatGPT. On Meta we also handle organic posting on Instagram and Facebook. Ad spend is billed to you by the platform.

No. You supply the photos and video, and we edit it into ads and platform-tailored posts, then run the campaigns. If you have no assets yet, we can advise on what to capture before a campaign starts.

We build and run email and SMS in Klaviyo: welcome, browse and cart abandonment, post-purchase, win-back, plus the campaign calendar for new arrivals and promotions. Flows and campaigns are designed on brand and written to convert.

SEO is search engine optimization for traditional engines like Google. GEO (generative engine optimization) and AIO (AI optimization) are the equivalent for AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Gara offers all three. We structure content, metadata, and schema so AI agents can scan and cite a site accurately, with links back to the brand.

Four steps. Discover: we audit your funnel, talk to your team, and read the data before we change anything. Define: we agree on the goals, the metrics we report on, and which channels get the budget. Design: we map the campaigns, creative, and automations that move those metrics. Deploy: we ship, measure, and change course when the data says to, then put more budget behind what works.

Book an intro call with us, or leave a message through the contact form at garaagency.com/contact with the services you need, your budget and your timeline. We respond within two business days.

An existing Shopify theme can often be improved through its settings, editable sections and targeted code changes. A custom theme becomes useful when product presentation, navigation or page layouts cannot be supported cleanly by the current theme. We start with the requirements rather than assuming a complete rebuild is needed.

Consider custom Shopify website design when shoppers need richer fit or fabric information, collections need a different navigation structure, or your team relies on repeated workarounds to maintain essential features. If a ready-made theme already supports your catalog and brand, focused improvements may be the better choice.

No. A custom Shopify storefront can be a theme built in Liquid, with sections and blocks your team edits inside Shopify. Headless uses a separate front end and introduces additional development and maintenance. We consider it only when a theme and suitable apps cannot meet the business requirements.

Scope depends on unique templates, catalog and variant complexity, custom interactions, integrations, markets, content migration and testing. Adapting an existing theme and developing a new one are different levels of work. Gara quotes after discovery rather than publishing a single storefront price.

A custom Shopify theme can include editable sections, blocks and templates so your team can update content in Shopify. The specific editing options are part of the project scope. Headless stores have a different editing setup and generally require more developer maintenance.

Yes. Storefront work can include improving product data and the way customers browse collections. For Nish Niche, color variants previously listed as separate products were consolidated into single listings. For Euromoda, the work includes reorganizing collections, tags, categories and product types, plus dropdown navigation with featured collections and edits.

Gara offers care plans through a monthly retainer or prepaid hours for maintenance, merchandising and updates. The work is scoped to the store. Email marketing, paid ads and content engagements are quoted separately.

Flows are automated messages triggered by a customer action or stage, such as subscribing, abandoning checkout or completing a purchase. Campaigns are planned sends for new arrivals, restocks, launches or promotions. Gara works on both, including segmentation, copy and design aligned with the brand.

Our Klaviyo work can cover welcome messages, browse and cart abandonment, checkout reminders, post-purchase, replenishment, repeat-buyer and VIP messaging, and win-back. We also review list hygiene and segmentation. The flow plan depends on the customer journey and the store's needs.

No. Meta and Google bill advertising spend directly to the client, separately from Gara's management fee. Campaign management is quoted after scope is agreed, so the media budget and agency work remain distinct.

Our search work can include technical and on-page SEO, title tags and descriptions, clean URLs, structured product information, schema and crawler access. Product and collection content should clearly answer shoppers' questions. The priorities depend on the store's existing structure and content.

No. Search engines and AI platforms decide what they rank or cite. SEO, GEO and AIO improve the clarity, accessibility and structure of your content, but do not guarantee placement. A custom storefront also does not guarantee higher sales.

Bring your store URL, the services you need, examples of what is not working, and your budget and intended timing. For a Shopify project, it helps to know your key apps, integrations, catalog needs and who will update the store. These details help define a focused scope.