Testimonial from Melchior Chocolates
"Elliot has supported Melchior Chocolates and helped grow the business over the past fifteen years. His advice and guidance have played a key role in developing both our mail order and e-commerce sales.
One of the most significant moments for the business was when Elliot recommended moving to Shopify and replacing our old website. He set up the new system, which turned out to be far more efficient and much easier to use than any previous platforms we had worked with.
Your knowledge and dedication have made a real difference to Melchior Chocolates, and I would happily recommend your services to anyone looking for expert support with their business."
Project Summary
ZenCart to Shopify
I first met Carlo many years ago when I worked as a business adviser at the government support agency Business Link. When our own business launched, Melchior Chocolates became one of our very first clients.
Our early projects focused on his e-commerce website, which was built using ZenCart. The platform was causing ongoing challenges — from difficulties updating content to managing routine administration tasks. The ZenCart dashboard was not user-friendly, and the lack of software updates had led to technical issues that were increasingly disruptive for the business.
Initially, the existing ZenCart website was retained, and promotional activity focused on seasonal email marketing and Google remarketing ads. The aim was to keep Carlo’s loyal customer base engaged and ensure they were proactively informed when new collections were launched. While this strategy led to increased sales, it soon became clear that the main barrier to further growth was the limitations of the ZenCart platform itself.
Carlo agreed to migrate to Shopify, primarily based on my assurance that he would find it far easier to update and manage independently. A modern, mobile-responsive design would also improve conversion rates and boost search engine rankings.
The main challenge on this project was the outdated version of ZenCart in use — the export function no longer worked, making it impossible to migrate the data automatically. As a result, each product had to be copied and manually entered into Shopify. Once the new site was launched, I delivered a 30-minute training session with Carlo, showing him how to use the platform. That’s all it took — from that point on, he’s handled everything himself: adding new products, managing promotions, processing payments, and running the site with complete independence.
Carlo won his first award in 1993 — Henrietta Green’s ‘Best Chocolates in Britain’ — and Melchior Chocolates can be found in select delicatessens across the country, including Fortnum & Mason in London. Even after more than thirty years in business, Carlo remains open to new ideas and willing to embrace technology that takes him outside of his comfort zone.
It’s always a pleasure to work with Carlo — and not just because he occasionally leaves luxury chocolates on my keyboard when I’m not looking (although that certainly doesn’t hurt!).