Harper Collins Publishers: Driving £155K+ in Sales with Gamified Engagement & Real-Time Social Proof
Store: Harper Collins Publishers UK
Vertical: Book Publishing / E-commerce
Using Wheelify & Sales Pop Up Conversion Pro for 2+ Years
Store URL: https://harpercollins-uk.myshopify.com/
The Brand Story
Harper Collins Publishers UK, led by Grant Donovan, is part of the globally recognized HarperCollins brand, one of the world’s largest and most respected publishing houses. With a legacy stretching back over 200 years, HarperCollins UK publishes around 1,500 books annually, spanning fiction, non-fiction, educational, and children’s literature. Their roster includes literary icons and beloved characters, from George R.R. Martin and Agatha Christie to Winnie the Pooh.
Through their Shopify storefront, HarperCollins connects directly with readers, offering a curated shopping experience and secure payment options, reinforcing their commitment to accessibility, engagement, and loyalty.
The Challenge: Turning Browsers Into Subscribers & Buyers
Despite strong brand recognition, casual visitors to the Shopify store weren’t always converting into subscribers or repeat customers. Grant Donovan and his team realized that passive browsing wasn’t enough, they needed a solution to encourage engagement, build trust, and drive conversions while keeping readers excited about exploring their catalog.
The Solution: Gamification + Real-Time Social Proof
Wheelify Campaigns
HarperCollins leveraged Wheelify to make their site more interactive and engaging for visitors. Spin-to-win campaigns encouraged readers to explore the store while discovering personalized discounts:
✅ Interactive Discounts: Visitors were prompted with “What discount will you get?” wheels, creating excitement and curiosity while guiding them toward completing purchases.
✅ Storewide Engagement: A “Thank You” spin rewarded returning visitors with discounts on their next order, reinforcing loyalty and encouraging repeat purchases.
✅ Strategic Placement: Campaigns were deployed on blog pages, product pages, and other high-traffic areas, maximizing visibility and interaction.
These campaigns increased subscriber acquisition and helped boost conversions by turning passive visitors into actively engaged customers, strengthening the connection between readers and the brand.
The Results: Engagement + Revenue Gains
Over two years, HarperCollins achieved impressive results:
- Total Revenue (from Wheelify): GBP 154,927.52
- Total Orders from Campaigns: 4,955
- Total Discounts Redeemed: 4,955
- New Subscribers Acquired: 64,560
- Total Impressions: 7,004,606
- Last 30 Days Performance: GBP 3,751.29 revenue | 159 orders | 1,013 new spins/subscribers
Based on industry-standard ROI estimates for social proof modules:
- Sold Counter: ~10% uplift in conversions
- Visitor Counter: ~7% uplift in conversions
These modules reinforced credibility and drove real-time engagement, ensuring that each visitor saw active interest in the products, encouraging more purchases and subscriptions.
Customer Lifetime Value: GBP 3,454.10
Average Spend per Customer: GBP 101.59
Average Monthly Revenue (AMR): $101.59
The Psychology of Engagement
- Gamified Incentives: Spin-to-win campaigns make exploring discounts exciting and rewarding.
- Social Proof: Real-time sold counters show other readers are buying and subscribing now, increasing trust.
- Urgency & Activity: Visitor counters highlight live activity, subtly motivating action without pressure.
This combination turned browsers into confident, repeat customers while strengthening loyalty to the HarperCollins brand.
Ready to Transform Your Store?
HarperCollins UK’s success shows how interactive gamification and real-time social proof can power engagement, subscriptions, and sales. Start your free trial of Wheelify and Sales Pop Up Conversion Pro today and see what your brand can achieve.
