ChiDog is a veterinarian-founded dog food brand running custom meal subscription plans on Shopify and Recharge, built around five diet types — Wood, Water, Fire, Metal, and Earth

1. Complex Subscription Flows & Custom Diet Plans

• Each diet plan needed a separate subscription wizard to gather essential details such as dog’s name, weight, and meal frequency (2-week, 4-week, etc.).
• Users needed an option to customize their meal plan by combining multiple diets (e.g., Wood + Water + Fire), without treating them as bundles.
• First-time buyers required an additional product add-on based on specific criteria set by the client.

2. Goat Milk Add-On with Smart Bundling

• Users needed an option to add goat milk as a one-time purchase or as a recurring add-on with every meal order.
• If a user selected Goat Milk with Every Order, the subscription product automatically changed to a bundled version (Diet Plan + Goat Milk).

3. Diet Recommendation Wizard for New Customers

• Many users were unsure which diet to choose, requiring a guided selection process.
• A multi-step questionnaire was needed, where users provided details such as dog breed, weight, activity level, illnesses, and dietary needs.
• Using dynamic logic and veterinary recommendations, we automatically suggested the best diet plan for the user’s dog.

4. Enhancing the Customer Dashboard for Subscription Management

• Users needed an intuitive dashboard to manage their subscriptions with full control over:
  • Swapping diets
  • Adjusting meal plans
  • Buying new subscriptions directly from the dashboard
  • Reactivating and rescheduling deliveries
• The Recharge SDK & Affinity Portal were fully leveraged to improve subscription flexibility.

5. Advanced Order Modification & Half Order Feature

• Users wanted an option to place a half-order if they already had some dog food left from a previous order.
• Instead of creating a new SKU, we dynamically adjusted:
  • Pricing, quantity, and visual representation of the half order.
  • Future quarter-order functionality to allow even smaller purchases.

6. Custom Shopify Embedded App for Order Processing & Diet Logic

• A custom CodeIgniter (CI) Shopify app was developed with a MySQL database to handle diet logic and automate order modifications.
• If a user purchased a custom meal combination, the app:
  • Listened to Shopify webhooks upon order placement.
  • Automatically modified the order, adding correct ingredient quantities based on diet logic.
• The app also provided real-time order tracking, flagging issues such as stuck or delayed deliveries.
• As an embedded Shopify app, it was accessible directly from the client’s Shopify dashboard.

7. Customer Trust & Engagement Enhancements

• Trustpilot API Integration to display only positive reviews on the store automatically.
• Live chat integration (Gorgias API) for real-time customer support via chat or email

1. Custom Subscription Wizard for Different Diet Plans

We modified the product page design to display separate subscription wizards for each diet plan. The wizard included:

• Dog name entry field for personalization.
• Variant picker for selecting meal type, weight, and frequency (2-week, 4-week, etc.).
• Dynamic subscription adjustments based on user selections.

2. Goat Milk Add-On with Smart Bundling

To provide flexibility, we created:

• Popup modal after add-to-cart, allowing users to buy goat milk once or with every order.
• Automated product bundling: If a user selected “Goat Milk with Every Order,” the subscription was updated dynamically to include goat milk as a recurring item.

3. Diet Recommendation Wizard for New Customers

We developed a multi-step questionnaire to guide users toward the right meal plan. The wizard:

• Collected dog weight, breed, activity level, and health conditions.
• Used veterinarian-approved logic to recommend the most suitable diet.
• Integrated with Recharge API to pre-fill subscription options based on the recommended diet.

4. Advanced Subscription Management via Custom Dashboard

We enhanced the Recharge customer dashboard by adding:

• Subscription Swap Feature – Users could switch between diets without canceling.
• Subscription Modifications – Customers could update their meal plan preferences anytime.
• Recharge SDK integration for seamless subscription reactivation, rescheduling, and auto-renewals.
• Direct purchasing from the dashboard without requiring checkout.

5. Half Order & Future Quarter Order Feature

We introduced a custom half-order feature, allowing users to:

• Select a half-order directly in the wizard.
• Adjust pricing and quantity dynamically without adding new SKUs.
• Display a visually distinct half-order product image to ensure clarity.

6. Custom Shopify App for Diet Logic & Order Processing

We developed a fully embedded Shopify app using CodeIgniter (CI) and MySQL, allowing the client to:

• Define complex meal combinations (e.g., Wood + Water).
• Modify orders automatically based on diet selection using Shopify webhooks.
• Track order fulfillment status and receive real-time issue notifications.

7. Trust & Engagement Features

• Trustpilot API integration to automatically display only positive reviews.
• Live chat system (Gorgias API) for direct customer support via chat or email.

• Streamlined Subscription Flow – Users could easily find, select, and modify their meal plans.
• Higher Conversions – The recommendation wizard improved customer confidence in diet selection.
• Improved Order Handling – The custom Shopify app automated complex diet orders and prevented manual errors.
• Enhanced Customer Engagement – Live chat integration and Trustpilot reviews built customer trust.
• Increased Subscription Retention – The Recharge SDK-powered dashboard empowered users with full subscription control.
• Faster Order Fulfillment – Automated diet plan logic & bundling reduced manual intervention.

• A seamless and engaging user journey
• Automated diet plan handling and order processing
• A powerful customer dashboard for subscription flexibility
• Higher customer satisfaction and retention rates