Summary
CHALLENGE.
- US tariff changes forced FragFlex to split their two stores by country — US and Canada.
- The split threatened to break affiliate links embedded in influencers’ older YouTube videos.
- Influencers risked losing attribution for sales driven by existing content.
SOLUTION.
- Used UpPromote’s Multi-Store to link both stores under one affiliate link.
- Sales tracked across both Shopify stores based on the customer’s location.
- Customers auto-routed to the right store by IP, preserving influencer attribution.
RESULTS.
- A 30% revenue lift during BFCM without raising commission rates.
- A painless store transition, with influencers keeping their existing links.
- Attribution preserved across both stores throughout the split.
LESSONS.
- Give affiliates a strong customer offer instead of a bigger commission.
- Use one cross-store affiliate link to protect attribution when splitting markets.
- Build year-round partnerships with retainers and free product to keep creators motivated.
- Grant creative freedom so content stays authentic.
During Black Friday Cyber Monday, most brands try to outspend their rivals by offering affiliates higher commissions. FragFlex does the opposite.
The fragrance retailer stocks everything from affordable Middle Eastern brands to luxury niche names like Creed and Roja.
Their BFCM bet is simple: a great customer deal is the best tool an affiliate can have.
What challenge did FragFlex face managing two stores across markets?
FragFlex runs two Shopify stores. FragranceBuy was originally the primary store, and the team built FragFlex to test new features and apps before rolling them out.
Then recent US tariff changes forced a strategic shift. FragFlex became exclusively for US customers, while FragranceBuy served Canadian ones.
That split created a problem for the affiliate program. Many influencers had affiliate links embedded in older YouTube videos people were still watching — and the split threatened to break them.
We don’t want them to lose the attributions from those old links. Many influencers had existing links on past videos.
Jan Urik Bacani, marketing lead at FragFlex
FragFlex needed one affiliate link that worked across both stores, so no creator lost credit for sales from past content.
How did FragFlex keep affiliate attribution intact with UpPromote?
FragFlex turned to UpPromote’s Multi-Store to connect the two stores. The system tracks sales across both Shopify stores based on the customer’s location.
When customers click an influencer’s link, they’re automatically routed to the appropriate store by IP address — and the influencer receives credit regardless of which store completes the sale.
We’re happy that UpPromote has that function where we can link stores with one affiliate link
Jan Urik Bacani, marketing lead at FragFlex
Influencers kept their existing links, and the handoff stayed smooth. “It made our transition even painless for our influencers. And that’s very important,” he added.
With the attribution problem solved, FragFlex could focus on the playbook that drives their BFCM sales.
How did FragFlex support affiliates without raising commissions?
FragFlex’s BFCM model rests on one bet: empower affiliates with offers, products, and trust rather than bigger payouts. Four ideas anchor the approach.
A strong customer deal instead of a bigger commission
For BFCM 2024, FragFlex leaned on customer-facing promotions — buy one, get one 24% off, combined with free shipping on all orders. Higher-tier loyalty members received exclusive extras.
Affiliate commissions stayed flat. The logic: a high volume of sales from a great discount benefits everyone more than a small, temporary commission bump.
Their only job is to promote us… as long as they promote, they can generate enough sales to offset the higher commission rate
Jan Urik Bacani, marketing lead at FragFlex
The affiliate’s job was simply to bring people to the site; the offer did the converting.
Market exclusivity as the affiliate’s edge
FragFlex is often the first retailer in North America to stock the most hyped new fragrances, before rival retailers can get them. That hands affiliates an advantage a discount can’t match.
They can offer their audience a chance to own a product first, creating urgency around scarcity rather than price.
By the time they get it, the hype is already died down because people have already bought it from us
Jan Urik Bacani, marketing lead at FragFlex
For BFCM 2025, FragFlex plans to lean even harder on that exclusivity.
Year-round partnerships that carry into the big weekend
FragFlex’s BFCM motivation rests on relationships built year-round, not holiday-only perks. The partnership centers on easing the cost and effort of making content.
Top influencers receive retainer fees — a steady income that lets them create without the pressure of immediate sales. The brand also sends a monthly supply of products.
Basically they don’t need to spend to get the products. We send it to them, whatever they need for the content
Jan Urik Bacani, marketing lead at FragFlex
A steady stream of fragrances keeps creators’ content fresh and their audiences engaged.
Creative freedom to keep content authentic
FragFlex hands creative control to their affiliates. Instead of strict scripts, it steps back and lets creators present products their own way.
We leave how they do their content to them, because they know their audience best. We trust them to do it
Jan Urik Bacani, marketing lead at FragFlex
That matters most during BFCM, when shoppers are flooded with ads. Personal, honest reviews cut through the clutter where scripted promotions get lost.
Together, these choices set up the results FragFlex points to.
What results has FragFlex seen from their BFCM strategy?
FragFlex credits the approach with a 30% revenue lift during BFCM — achieved without raising affiliate commission rates.
The store split, once a threat to the affiliate program, passed without creators losing attribution or their existing links.
For BFCM 2025, FragFlex expects stronger results. They has added more influencers to their roster and plans a dress rehearsal using their October anniversary sale to stress-test a new facility and updated systems before the main event.
The brand is also planning customer-facing upgrades like tiered mystery gifts.
It’s a mystery gift, hopefully that drives FOMO for people
Jan Urik Bacani, marketing lead at FragFlex
FragFlex’s bet is that investing in customers and partners — not commission rates — is what makes the sales follow.
Won BFCM with customer deals, not higher commissions. FragFlex kept affiliate rates flat and offered BOGO 24% off with free shipping instead.
Used UpPromote’s Multi-Store to protect attribution. One affiliate link worked across FragFlex’s US store and FragranceBuy’s Canadian store, routing customers by location.
Drove a 30% revenue lift during BFCM. The strategy delivered the lift without increasing what affiliates were paid.
Invested in year-round partnerships. FragFlex provides retainers and a monthly product supply, and grants creators full creative freedom.
