A Fractional eComm Manager for Studio McGee

Why Studio McGee Chose Fractional Expertise for a Time-Critical Retail Launch

TL;DR Studio McGee was opening their first retail store in six weeks when their in-house employee departed, leaving a gap in POS setup, testing, and launch readiness. They needed someone who could step in immediately, work within their team's systems, and deliver a fully operational Shopify POS by opening day. Storetasker matched them with Sarah Ramanuj, an eCommerce manager with experience across Supreme and Baboon to the Moon. Sarah scoped the engagement as a fixed-fee project covering August, operated as an embedded team member and delivered POS activation on schedule.

About the Client

Studio McGee is a leading interior design brand with a thriving e-commerce business through McGee & Co. Opening their first physical retail location represented a significant expansion, requiring a Shopify POS setup that could support their store associates from day one and handle the complexity of a brand operating at their scale.

The Core Tension

Studio McGee needed an expert who could hit the ground running on a fixed deadline with no time for onboarding delays or ramp-up periods.

Why the departure created urgency: The employee handling POS setup left six weeks before opening. That's not enough time to hire, onboard, and train a replacement. Studio McGee needed someone already expert in Shopify POS who could pick up where things left off and fill the gap without requiring significant hand-holding from an already stretched team.

Why fixed-fee made more sense than hourly: Sarah proposed a fixed-fee engagement from the outset, recognizing that an hourly model would create friction as priorities shifted in the lead-up to launch. A set fee let her operate as an extension of the team, adapt to what needed doing, and focus on the outcome rather than tracking hours.

What was at risk: A retail store opening with an unconfigured or undertested POS system would mean store associates unable to process transactions properly from day one. For a brand with Studio McGee's public profile, a botched store opening would be visible and reputationally costly.

The Storetasker Solution

Storetasker matched Studio McGee with Sarah Ramanuj, an eCommerce operations expert comfortable working across Shopify retail and digital operations. Sarah's approach of scoping clearly, integrating into the client's internal systems, and maintaining consistent communication throughout made her the perfect fit for a high-stakes, short-timeline engagement.

The Work

• Stepped in immediately following departure of in-house POS employee
• Completed outstanding POS setup and configuration tasks for the retail store
• Conducted testing to ensure system readiness ahead of the set target for store associates
• Worked toward final lockdown by deadline as requested by the store team
• Operated as an embedded team member
• Maintained clear communication throughout on timeline tracking and any risks

Results & Impact

• Delivered a configured and tested Shopify POS system ready for store associate training
• Filled a critical six-week gap created by an employee departure without disrupting the launch timeline
• Operated as a genuine extension of the team rather than an external contractor requiring constant direction
• Demonstrated the speed-to-value that fractional expertise can provide when internal capacity suddenly drops

"We didn’t have the capacity for a lengthy onboarding process or a lot of day to day direction. Sarah came in, got up to speed quickly, and took ownership of the work. That allowed our team to stay focused on the broader priorities while knowing the POS work was moving forward."

—Heidi Sandoval, Sr. Director of WebOps, Studio McGee

Why Storetasker

When a critical team member departs close to a major launch, the unlock is finding someone who can step in with the right expertise immediately rather than hiring and training from scratch. Most brands don't need permanent POS specialists, but when a retail opening is on the line, they need expert support that can operate as part of the team from day one.

Ready to fill a critical expertise gap without a lengthy hiring process? Explore how Storetasker can connect you with the e-commerce expertise your business needs.