How Awards Co Used Volume Discounts to Sell Personalized Products on Shopify?

Merchant Profile

Awards Co, also known as Awards International, is a third-generation, family-owned business based in Chicago that has been helping schools, sports organizations, businesses, and community groups celebrate achievements for nearly 70 years. 

The company specializes in trophies, plaques, medals, and personalized recognition products, serving customers who often purchase awards in large quantities for tournaments, school events, corporate recognition programs, and community organizations.

Today, the business is led by Chris, who continues the legacy built over generations.

Supporting that mission is Paul, Awards Co's manager and a print-on-demand veteran with more than 30 years of experience.

As Paul puts it:
"You don't stay in business for 70 years unless you're doing something right."

Their reputation has been built on quality products, personalized service, and long-term customer relationships. 

However, as customer expectations evolved, Awards Co faced a new challenge: modernizing the online buying experience without losing the trust and service that had defined the business for decades.

The Challenge: Bringing Personalized Awards Into The Ecommerce Era

Awards Co was developing a new e-commerce experience that would allow customers to personalize awards and preview them before placing an order.

The goal was simple: give customers greater confidence when ordering personalised products online.

However, as the project progressed, the team encountered an unexpected obstacle. 

In the awards industry, bulk pricing is a critical part of the buying process. 

Schools, sports organizations, and businesses often expect Shopify volume discounts when purchasing awards in large quantities.

Customers frequently purchase trophies, plaques, and medals in large quantities for events or organizations, making volume discounts an expectation rather than a bonus.

When Awards Co chose Shopify as the foundation for its new platform, the team assumed quantity-based pricing would be easy to implement.

IT WASN’T. 

According to Paul:
"We were probably 60 % of the way through the project when we realized this was going to be a big problem for us."

Hunt For The Right Solution

Determined to solve the problem, Paul began exploring Shopify's ecosystem for a bulk-pricing solution. 

The team researched alternatives, read reviews, tested multiple options, and even used AI-powered search tools to uncover potential solutions.

While several apps offered quantity discounts, many struggled to fit within Awards Co's highly customized workflow.

The company wasn't simply looking for a discount app.
It needed a solution that could work alongside a custom-built personalization platform without compromising the customer experience.

That search eventually led them to Dealeasy.

Why Did Awards Co Choose Dealeasy?

As a Shopify volume discounts solution, Deaeasy provided the flexibility that Awards Co needed while working alongside its custom personalization platform.

However, as implementation began, another factor quickly stood out.

“SUPPORT”.

Because Awards Co's personalization platform had been developed specifically for its business, the integration required close collaboration between technical teams.

Rather than treating the project as a standard installation, the DealEasy team worked directly with Awards Co's developer to address technical challenges and ensure both systems worked together smoothly.

For Paul, that level of support ultimately became the deciding factor.

"The thing that really sealed the deal was the quality of the support."

Using Dealeasy's Volume Discount Table, Awards Co was able to:

• Display quantity-based pricing directly on product pages
• Show customers exactly how pricing changed as quantities increased
• Automatically apply discounts based on order volume
• Support bulk purchasing without adding complexity

Combined with the company's new personalization capabilities, the setup delivered the buying experience that Awards Co had originally envisioned. 

What Changed For Customers?

Before the new setup, customers often relied on emails, spreadsheets, and manual communication when placing personalized orders.

Now, customers can:

• Preview personalized products before checkout
• View available quantity discounts upfront
• Understand pricing more clearly
• Place large orders with greater confidence

The experience is:

• Transparent
• Easy to understand
• Customer-friendly

Most importantly, customers know exactly what they are ordering and how pricing changes as their order quantity increases.

The Result

The response from customers was immediate.

Many of Awards Co's customers have been purchasing from the company for years, and feedback about the new online experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

Customers appreciated:

• Greater visibility into pricing
• Easier navigation throughout the ordering process
• Clearer understanding of discounts
• More confidence when placing large orders

One result stood out above everything else.

As Paul shared:
"We haven't had a single negative comment."

The platform has also demonstrated its ability to support the large-volume orders that are common within the awards industry and the personalised products industry. 

In recent months, Awards Co successfully processed an order of approximately 800 units through the system, reinforcing confidence in its scalability and reliability.

Why Does It Work?

1. Clear volume pricing

Customers can instantly understand available discounts without contacting support or requesting custom pricing.

2. Supports large-scale orders

The setup is built for the high-volume purchases common among schools, sports organizations, businesses, and community groups.

3. Works alongside personalization

Customers can preview customized products while still benefiting from transparent quantity-based pricing.

4. Reduces purchase uncertainty

By showing both product previews and pricing information before checkout, customers can purchase with greater confidence.

Key Takeaways For The Shopify Merchants

If your store sells personalized products or regularly handles bulk purchases:

•  Display quantity discounts clearly
•  Make pricing visible before checkout
•  Combine personalization with transparent pricing
•  Choose solutions that work with custom workflows
•  Prioritize support when implementing complex setups
•  Reduce friction by helping customers understand pricing upfront

Looking Ahead

The modernization project has opened new opportunities beyond Awards Co's traditional awards business.

The company has already begun expanding into apparel and t-shirt offerings that complement its existing product lines, creating new growth opportunities while serving its customer base more effectively.

Looking further ahead, Awards Co is preparing to launch what it believes will be the first dedicated awards and trophies personalization solution for Shopify merchants.

As the business enters its next chapter, Dealeasy remains an important part of the e-commerce ecosystem, supporting that vision.

Final Thoughts

For Awards Co, this project was about more than implementing a volume discount solution.

It was about modernizing a decades-old buying experience while preserving the quality, trust, and customer service that have defined the business for nearly 70 years.

By combining personalized product previews with transparent volume pricing, Awards Co created a smoother and more confident buying experience for its customers.

And for a company approaching its eighth decade in business, that represents something important: continuing to evolve alongside customer expectations while staying true to the values that built the company in the first place.

About Dealeasy

Dealeasy is a Shopify app built to help merchants offer smarter pricing and better buying experiences, without expensive platform upgrades. 

Here's what it brings to your store:

• Volume discounts & quantity breaks
• Tiered pricing & bulk discounts
• Product bundles & mix and match offers
• BOGO & Buy X Get Y deals
• Free gift & free product rewards
• Cart progress bar & rewards bar

No matter your industry, Dealeasy gives you the tools to increase average order value and make checkout effortless for your customers.