How Hobbiesville built an 8-figure ecommerce business in just 3 years, with Edmond Georges

From pandemic pivot to profitable powerhouse

In 2020, most brands were scrambling to survive. Hobbiesville was just getting started.

Launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—when supply chains were strained, consumer behavior was volatile, and retail was reeling—Hobbiesville didn’t just survive. It scaled to eight figures in revenue in under three years, entirely bootstrapped.

In this episode of The Ecommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives, Edmond Georges, Co-Founder, President, and CTO of Hobbiesville, shares the playbook behind that growth. From strategic tech decisions and omnichannel expansion to fulfillment innovation and fraud management, Edmond’s story is a blueprint for how ecommerce leaders can build durable, customer-centric businesses in uncertain times.

Whether you lead digital at a global brand or are navigating your own growth curve, this episode offers five actionable takeaways.

1. Crisis forced focus—and sparked opportunity

When Hobbiesville launched in summer 2020, it wasn’t a calculated go-to-market campaign. It was an experiment—a Shopify store built on a hunch that trading cards might be having a resurgence during lockdown.

They were right. And they didn’t wait around.

“We asked: what’s preventing us from going bigger? The answer: suppliers required a physical presence. So we opened a store.”
— Edmond Georges, President & CTO of Hobbiesville

From there, Hobbiesville layered in infrastructure step-by-step, moving fast but deliberately: brick-and-mortar to unlock product access, fulfillment operations to meet demand, and mobile to improve retention.

Why it matters: Great businesses aren’t just built in ideal conditions. They’re built through clarity of execution in imperfect ones.

2. Operational discipline is a growth multiplier

Managing 60k+ unique SKUs—including one-of-a-kind, high-value collectibles—isn’t for the faint of heart. But Edmond saw operations as a core advantage, not a backend burden.

From building their own fulfillment warehouse to deploying automation across pre-orders and returns, the Hobbiesville team engineered a system that could scale without losing customer trust.

“Inventory sync, returns, customer communications—we tackled the messy stuff early so we could grow cleanly later.”
— Edmond Georges, President & CTO of Hobbiesville

Their tech stack? A flexible Shopify base with tightly integrated add-ons—no bloated platforms, just modular, purpose-driven tools.

Leadership insight: Site health and back-end stability aren’t just IT concerns. They directly impact margin, loyalty, and customer satisfaction. Ecommerce leaders need deep visibility into friction points before they become revenue leaks. That means knowing where errors live—and how they impact customers—before customers ever complain.

3. Bootstrapped growth drives smarter decision-making

In an era defined by venture capital burn and “growth at all costs” mentalities, Hobbiesville took the road less traveled—and it paid off.

No outside funding. No inflated burn. Just disciplined execution and strategic use of debt once the business matured.

“We’ve been profitable since day one. We use debt when it fits into our margin structure—not to cover bad math.”
— Edmond Georges, President & CTO of Hobbiesville

By clearing the 24-month profitability hurdle, they unlocked access to smarter capital (like BDC and Shopify Capital) without sacrificing control.

Key stat: Hobbiesville finished year three with 62% YoY growth—still bootstrapped.

Takeaway for execs: Healthy economics and clean operations give you strategic leverage. Especially in an era when capital isn’t cheap.

4. Omnichannel isn't a trend—it's a growth engine

Launching brick-and-mortar stores wasn’t just about foot traffic—it was a strategic unlock. Certain suppliers only work with brands that have a physical presence to avoid grey market resellers.

By opening physical locations, Hobbiesville not only gained supplier access, but also created a tangible extension of its digital community—with in-store tournaments, buyback programs, and BOPIS options.

“We aim for 90% online, 10% in-store—but that 10% fuels our brand, our access, and our customer trust.”
— Edmond Georges, President & CTO of Hobbiesville

Today, stores in Ottawa and Toronto power both local engagement and digital conversion—plus, they unlock new ways to interact with customers at scale.

Strategic takeaway: Omnichannel is no longer a future-state. It’s now the price of admission for growth-minded retailers.

5. Experience is the new differentiator—online and off

For Hobbiesville, CX goes far beyond support. It’s proactive, transparent, and designed to reduce uncertainty—especially around fulfillment, returns, and pre-orders.

Customers buying both retail and pre-order items? Automations let them know exactly what’s shipping when. Questions about shipping times or order status? Answered before they’re even asked.

“People are reasonable—if you give them clarity. We built flows that answered questions before they came in.”
— Edmond Georges, President & CTO of Hobbiesville

Looking ahead, Hobbiesville is doubling down on customer experience through content ecosystems, a deeper mobile experience, and licensed collaborations that add new value layers to the brand.

Key insight for digital leaders: Great CX isn’t just post-purchase support. It’s upstream clarity, operational trust, and differentiated experiences that create long-term loyalty.

Final word: Building during chaos is a skill set

What makes Hobbiesville’s story compelling isn’t just the revenue growth—it’s how and when it happened.

They built a high-performing, customer-centric ecommerce business during one of the most unpredictable moments in modern retail history. That took more than hustle. It took strategic restraint, operational clarity, and an obsession with delivering value.

And for ecommerce executives navigating their own version of today’s volatility—whether in AI disruption, shifting consumer expectations, or rising acquisition costs—those are exactly the muscles that matter.

Listen to the full episode below!

Tune in to this episode of The Ecommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives with Edmond Georges to learn more about the Hobbiesville journey to eight-figure revenue.

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