Hey, it’s Cam from Platter 👋

This week we’re talking navigation. Sexy, I know, but hear me out…

My hypothesis is that most ecommerce teams spend the majority of their time optimizing things closest to checkout: Facebook ads, landing pages, and checkout. Meanwhile, one of the highest-trafficked parts of the user journey often gets overlooked — navigation.

And Shopify’s data backs this up — 76% of ecommerce sites get a failing grade on navigation. Baymard Institute, who did the research, grades navigation on things like:

• Category taxonomy (are products grouped logically?)

• Clarity of labels (are categories instantly understandable?)

• Ease of finding products (are menus and category pages frictionless?)

• Discoverability and cues (is it obvious where to find stuff and what’s clickable?)

Most stores (excuse my french) suck, which is why the ones that nail it really stand out.

So, here are 5 brands who’ve done a fantastic job designing their nav.

Ministry of Supply

Ministry of Supply’s nav is a textbook example of how to handle a large catalog without overwhelming shoppers. Their mega menu neatly splits collections (tops, bottoms, underwear), surfaces New and Sale, and highlights hero products like the Kinetic Pant and AeroZero Dress Shirt right inside the nav. It’s easy to orient and nudges shoppers towards best-sellers.

Sun Bum

Sun Bum uses a nested menu style that lets shoppers drill down by collection, supported by scrolling tiles and hover animations. The interactivity makes it crystal clear what you’re about to click on, while still feeling playful and aligned with their fun brand style.

Forager Project

Forager leans on a visual-first navigation. Every category is paired with a product image, so shoppers can instantly recognize cashew yogurt vs. protein shakes vs. kefir drinks. It’s super easy to use, especially in a category where plant-based alternatives can be unfamiliar. The “Explore all products” tile is a smart catch-all for anyone who just wants to browse everything at once.

Unplugs

Unplugs is a great example of how to build a navigation for a single-product brand. Just two categories (earbuds and accessories), paired with large product images and a bold “Shop All” button, keep the journey intuitive as heck. With so little clutter, customers are basically guaranteed to the find the product they are looking for.

Mugsy

Mugsy’s mega menu is built using smart categorization. Jeans, chinos, joggers, and shorts are broken out clearly, with sub-labels like “Shop by Fit” making it easy for shoppers who aren’t sure where to start. It’s straightforward, scannable, and keeps conversion paths short.

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