Rieker:
Migration without the dip.
A full affiliate network migration executed with zero revenue loss — then a partner-mix rebuild that turned a programme in steep decline into 46% year-on-year growth at a twelve-month low cost per sale.
+46%
Revenue YoY
Year-on-year revenue growth after twelve months of decline
+61%
Orders YoY
Order growth on the rebuilt partner mix
15.5x
ROAS
Six-month efficiency high reached in May 2026
£0
Lost in Migration
Performance held through the switch — first full month beat the prior year
About Rieker
Rieker is a heritage European footwear brand with a devoted following across the UK, known for comfort-engineered shoes and boots that pair craftsmanship with everyday wearability. Its UK online store serves a loyal, returning customer base spanning generations.
By 2025, Rieker's affiliate channel told a different story to its brand: revenue had more than halved year-on-year under the previous network and agency setup, with performance left to set-and-forget partners and a tracking model that paid commission on ads customers never clicked.
- Heritage European footwear brand with UK-wide reach
- Comfort-led collections with a loyal, returning customer base
- Multi-agency marketing team — affiliate run by Affility
- Programme migrated and rebuilt on a new network in 2025
The Problem We Inherited
Like-for-like, January–April affiliate revenue had fallen 55% in a single year. The programme wasn't underperforming for lack of demand — it was underperforming by design.
−55%
Revenue Decline
January–April revenue fell 55% year-on-year — more than halving in 2025 under the previous setup
Autopilot
Set-and-Forget Partners
Performance leaned on passive retargeting and comparison partners, with no proactive management
Post-view
Paying for Unseen Ads
The top "partner" earned commission on a post-view model — credited for sales without a single click
A Zero-Loss Network Migration
Network migrations are where affiliate programmes usually lose months of revenue. We sequenced Rieker's move so performance never dipped — and used the switch to leave the dead weight behind.
Sequenced Partner Moves
The main revenue drivers were migrated first and validated before anything was switched off, so both programmes overlapped instead of gapping.
- Top CSS, loyalty, voucher, and sub-network partners moved first
- Performance through migration matched the previous year
- The first month fully tracked on the new network beat the same month a year earlier
Dead Weight Left Behind
A migration is a one-time chance to rebuild the programme on your own terms. We took it.
- Post-view retargeting dropped — commission only on real clicks
- Voucher partners retained at lower, profitable rates
- Fairer payment models negotiated from every new partner
Partner Mix Rebuilt
Growth came from communities that reward loyal customers, not from deeper discounts.
- Closed loyalty groups: Blue Light Card, healthcare, and teacher communities
- Comparison shopping partners managed beyond set-and-forget
- Editorial pipeline opened via sub-network gateway partners
Commercial Efficiency
Recovery only counts if it's profitable. Cost per sale fell while revenue grew.
- Item-level commissioning: sale items at 3%, full price at 8%
- Cost per sale at a twelve-month low within six months
- ROAS climbing three months straight to 15.5x in May 2026
The Recovery, Measured
Same brand, same months, same channel — different operator. Twelve months of decline became 46% growth, with orders up 61% on the rebuilt partner mix.
Revenue trend, January–April of each year+46% YoY
Like-for-like January–April affiliate revenue. 2024–25 under the previous network and agency; 2026 after Affility's migration and partner-mix rebuild. The trend is still climbing — May 2026 was the best month since January's seasonal peak.
January Peak Tripled
January 2026 delivered more than three times the revenue of January 2025 under the previous setup.
Loyalty-Led Growth
Closed-community partners like Blue Light Card became top performers at just 3% commission — growth that rewards loyal customers instead of eroding price.
Efficiency High
May 2026 closed as the programme's most efficient month in the six-month view, with commission growing slower than revenue.
Future Outlook
With the migration behind it and efficiency at a high, the programme's next phase is brand-building: editorial coverage that puts Rieker alongside the UK's biggest footwear names.
Editorial Recruitment
A pipeline of national and lifestyle publications — invitations out to a dozen editorial publishers as the route to content-led, incremental revenue.
From Single Agency to Experts
Rieker replaced its single generalist agency with market-leading specialists for every marketing channel — Affility on affiliate. The turnaround vindicates that switch, and we'll keep building on it.
Campaign-Led Strategy
Planning around the yearly promotional calendar with evergreen publisher codes — proactive campaigns instead of last-minute sale notifications.
Stuck With an Underperforming Programme?
Switch Networks With Minimal Loss to Performance
Our considered, proven approach to network migrations keeps any performance dip to a minimum — and on Rieker's programme, new partnership revenue had it recovered within three months.
Considered Migrations
Sequenced moves, validated before switch-off
Proven Recovery
+46% revenue and +61% orders year-on-year
Profitable Growth
Cost per sale at a twelve-month low
Network migration specialists
Decline reversed to +46% growth in one season
or email us directly at hello@affility.com