Why Next.js for feelme.no: not a theme, not full Hydrogen
The App Router as a host for headless commerce
feelme.no could have been a standard Shopify theme. That would have been faster to start, and heavier to own long term. The theme layer is built for Shopify’s way of running a store, not for tailored visibility, feeds, measurement, and Norwegian operations.
Full Hydrogen and Oxygen was not the goal either. We needed freedom to choose hosting, caching, and app structure ourselves, while still speaking fluent Shopify.
The Next.js App Router hit the middle. Catalog pages can load efficiently, the cart can update safely on the server, and the delivery pipeline is familiar. The store is a web application that fetches commerce from Shopify, not a theme with React glued on.
That unlocks things themes often struggle with: a custom Prisjakt route, content updates without a full deploy, sensible image handling, consent-based tracking, and merchandising built into the store. The stack follows the requirements, not the other way around.
The cost is that we build more ourselves. The gain is control, performance, and a codebase Eon AS can evolve without waiting on theme-ecosystem limits.
Considering a new online store, or lifting an existing one onto modern technology? Talk to Eon AS. We help you land the stack, for example Next.js and Shopify, so the setup can grow, not just launch.