Costco Website Rebrand & Localization

Costco Taiwan's website was a direct mirror of the U.S. platform — same layout, same navigation patterns, same checkout flow. It contributed only 4% of total revenue. Bounce rates were high, cart abandonment was persistent, and mobile users had almost no usable experience. The platform wasn't failing because of traffic; it was failing because it ignored how Taiwanese shoppers actually browse and buy.

The core tension: global brand standards required consistency, while local user behavior demanded a fundamentally different interaction model.

01
Diagnose before designing
Mapped the existing user journey against analytics to identify exact drop-off points. Discovered the top three failure moments: homepage navigation, product filtering, and checkout language confusion.

02
Localize the mental model
Adapted U.S. wireframes to match Traditional Chinese reading patterns, local category hierarchies, and promotion-led browsing behavior — not just translated text, but restructured information architecture.

03
Mobile-first rebuild
Overhauled responsive behavior from the ground up. Streamlined navigation depth, reduced checkout to fewer steps, and optimized tap targets for thumb-zone interaction.

04
Test, measure, iterate
Ran A/B tests with the marketing team on hero layouts, CTA placement, and promotional card designs. Used session data to continuously refine — not intuition alone.

The redesign successfully transformed the platform into a high-performing digital channel:

✔ 40% Growth in Membership: User-friendly flows significantly lowered the barrier to entry.

✔ Enhanced Mobile Engagement: Streamlined navigation led to longer session durations.

✔ Global-Local Alignment: Proved that global frameworks can be successfully adapted for local market growth.