Blæst cuts discounted stock dependency by 40% with Centra

Taking its name from the Norwegian word “blæst” (a gust or strong breeze), Blæst channels the force of nature into outerwear that's made to withstand it. Founded in the Art-Nouveau town of Ålesund in 2015, Blæst has spent the past decade creating outerwear for men, women, and children that can weather any “blæst” and stand against any storm.

A forecast of change

A clear gap in the market, combined with Blæst’s distinct product offering quickly earned a loyal customer base, fueling rapid, organic growth for the brand’s DTC store, which had been hosted on Shopify. However, despite this initial success, AAPW's COO, Sandra Nordheim found that the brand’s ability to scale internationally was becoming increasingly limited. Blæst needed a fresh approach.

To support their next stage of growth, the Blæst team began evaluating ecommerce solution providers—exploring a headless ecommerce setup to gain greater flexibility, performance, and scalability across markets. The selection process kicked off with key partners already in place: Frend as their front-end agency, and Neue Design Studio leading the design and user experience for the new site.

After careful consideration, Blæst selected Centra as the platform to build the brand’s identity and digital flagship store. Why Centra? Beyond its fashion-focused DTC and wholesale capabilities in one platform, it also came recommended by every agency and tech partner involved in the pitch process.

From pitch to platform, Blæst successfully migrated to Centra and launched its new digital flagship store for both DTC and wholesale in just six months.

The elements for success

With Centra at the core of the brand’s DTC and wholesale operations, Blæst is now built to scale—without limits.

Frictionless fashion wholesale

Having previously used a bespoke system for its wholesale business, Blæst launched their first preorder campaign with Centra Showroom earlier this year. With Centra, Blæst can grow its wholesale network, providing a user experience that's specifically tailored for buyers with Centra Showroom, including individual pricing for accounts and self-serve functionality—managed from a centralized platform.  Since launch, 16% of Blæst’s wholesale clients have placed orders directly through Centra, without requiring in-person meetings or additional support. This signals a significant shift towards a self-serve buyer experience. 

Global DTC momentum

Blæst has experienced strong ecommerce growth since launch—and the momentum hasn’t slowed. In the first two months since launch, the brand saw a 130% year-over-year increase in DTC sales. Their international DTC orders have also doubled, even without targeted marketing efforts in new regions. This early momentum sets the stage for future global expansion.

Less discounting, higher AOV

For premium fashion brands, success isn’t just about high sales volume—it's about selling without relying on heavy discounts. Since switching to Centra, Blæst has dramatically reduced its reliance on markdowns. Only 10% of sales in Autumn 2024 came from discounted items, compared to 50% the previous year. This shift increased Blaest's average order value (AOV) significantly.

Design freedom in the front-end and having access to best-of-breed integrations has also played a role in reinforcing Blæst’s position as  a premium brand, with editorial photography, more accurate size guides, and clearer product information reinforcing shopper confidence. And critically, Blæst closed out the season with minimal leftover stock—a key indicator of success in fashion retail.

Designed to last

Blæst is now positioned for its next phase of growth. With its first concept store opening in Ålesund, the brand is taking an exciting step towards unlocking new sales channels and strengthening its customer base even further.  Centra’s omnichannel features like buy online, pick-up in store (BOPIS) and digitally connecting receipts to customer accounts are ready to switch on when the time is right, allowing Blæst to seamlessly integrate online and offline experiences.

The brand is also continuing to expand their collections, with a ski line in development, this marks a clear opportunity for growth in new markets, as well as existing ones. Blæst continues to prove that weatherproof fashion is about more than just function—the brand is making its debut at Norway’s Fashion Week in 2025.

With Centra, Blæst is equipped with a platform that aligns with the brand’s ‘designed to last’ ethos. Old limitations have been replaced with an scalable ecommerce solution that not only supports Blæst’s current growth but also provides the flexibility needed to scale globally across multiple channels.

Blæst’s tech stack: