Stassar
For years, Stassar has been a familiar name in camping, outdoor gear, and recreation. Its online store offers a wide range of products, including camping gear, awnings, swimming pools, outdoor equipment, and caravan accessories. Stassar also has a showroom where you can see products up close and get expert advice.
Some partnerships start with a brand-new online store. Others start with one simple question.
“Could you take a look at our online store?”
In early 2020, Lars Stassar came to us with exactly that question. By then, Hans Stassar Camping & Recreatie had been a household name in Limburg for years. With more than 22,000 m² of shopping space, it was the go-to destination for campers, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone who loves being outdoors.
Then the pandemic hit. As visits to the physical store dropped sharply, the online store suddenly mattered more than ever. That was exactly when Stassar wanted to know whether their Magento store was ready to handle that growth.
A code review reveals more than the state of your code
For us, a code review is never just a technical check. Of course, we look at code quality. Is it maintainable? Are there unnecessary customizations? Is the store fast enough? But we don’t stop there.
We also assess security, the hosting environment, the Magento configuration, installed extensions, and the overall technical health of the store. Ultimately, you want to know more than where the problems are. You want to know where the opportunities lie. And as is often the case, the picture was mixed.
Not everything was bad. Far from it. The store had a solid foundation. But in several areas, we saw ways to make it more stable, faster, and easier to maintain. Talking through the findings marked the start of a great partnership. Since then, we’ve supported Stassar not only on the technical side, but also by helping shape their roadmap, strategy, and the next steps in their e-commerce development.
Getting the foundation right first
Before you add new features, the basics need to be solid. That’s why we started by putting Magento updates, security patches, and module updates on a regular schedule. This keeps the store secure, stable, and ready for whatever comes next.
With that in place, there was room to build further. One of the first major projects was setting up a fulfillment solution, which worked extremely well for years. When logistics needs evolved, we switched to Sendcloud. Shipping labels are now generated automatically and correctly, and the shipping process fits better with day-to-day operations.
A smart migration that kept processes running
The payment setup also got a fresh look. In the end, Mollie was the choice, thanks to its user-friendly Magento integration and its good fit with Stassar’s needs. A migration like this may look simple at first glance, but it often affects far more than just payments.
Order statuses need to stay aligned with the fulfillment process, automated emails can’t go out unexpectedly, and existing workflows have to keep working. Because all of this was mapped out in advance, the switch went smoothly for staff and customers alike.
Making the store easier to find
With the technical foundation in place, there was room to invest more in the user experience. Together with Happy Horizon, we explored how UX and SEO could reinforce each other. That meant looking not just at better content, but at the technology behind the store too.
For example, Sooqr (now Spotler Activate) was added to improve search and navigation. Stassar’s own expertise also became more visible through blog posts and informative content. For products like camping gear, swimming pools, and outdoor supplies in particular, good content helps visitors make the right choice while also contributing to organic search visibility.
A new chapter with Hyvä
After the pandemic, Stassar faced a strategic choice. Should it keep investing in its physical store or go all in on online growth? It chose online, which made this the perfect moment to future-proof the online store. In 2024, we launched a completely rebuilt Magento store on Hyvä. Not because Hyvä is a hype, but because it was the perfect fit for Stassar’s ambition: a fast, modern online store that’s easy to maintain.
Instead of a standard template, we created a fully custom design that reflects Stassar’s look and feel. Working with Happy Horizon, we factored in UX, SEO, structured data, and performance from day one. The result is an online store that gives visitors a pleasant experience and is technically ready for further growth.
Every step builds on the last
Looking back on the past few years, one thing stands out: none of these projects happened in isolation.
A code review led to technical maintenance. Technical maintenance made room for optimizations. Those optimizations laid the groundwork for a new fulfillment solution, a payment migration, better SEO, and ultimately a completely new Hyvä store.
That’s how we like to work. Instead of changing everything at once, we keep improving step by step. We make plans together, help identify opportunities, and then put those plans into action. A good online store is never finished. It grows along with its owner’s ambitions. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing together with Stassar for more than five years.
