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March 31, 2025Aurum 4.0.6 – Minimalist Shopping Theme
Aurum is a minimalist WooCommerce theme developed by Laborator, designed to provide a smooth and elegant shopping experience for online stores. It’s marketed as a versatile, fast, and customizable solution suitable for various types of eCommerce sites, such as boutiques, bookstores, tech stores, and jewelry shops. Below is a review based on its features, performance, and user feedback
Design and Aesthetics
Aurum’s standout feature is its minimalist design. It offers a clean, uncluttered layout with simple typography and spacious product displays, putting the focus squarely on your merchandise. The theme provides a sleek, modern aesthetic that’s visually appealing without overwhelming the user. It comes with multiple pre-built homepage layouts and product page templates, which can be a great starting point for those who want to set up quickly. The responsive design ensures it looks sharp on all devices, and its retina-ready graphics make it pop on high-definition screens.
Customization is a strong suit here. With compatibility for tools like WPBakery Page Builder (included), you can tweak layouts using a drag-and-drop interface—no coding required. There’s also a Custom CSS tab where you can write CSS, LESS, or SASS for different screen sizes, offering flexibility for those with some technical know-how. However, the sample images shown in demos aren’t included, so you’ll need to supply your own visuals to replicate the polished look.
Features and Functionality
Aurum integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, supporting the latest versions (up to 9.5.x as of early 2025). It includes practical eCommerce features like AJAX add-to-cart, a wishlist option via YITH WooCommerce Wishlist, and catalog mode for browsing without prices. You get four header styles, a mega menu option (with UberMenu support, though not included), and over 30 portfolio item types for creative product showcases. Other perks include multilingual support via WPML (sold separately), RTL compatibility, and a variety of shortcodes for added functionality.
The theme also bundles premium plugins like LayerSlider for dynamic sliders and Advanced Custom Fields PRO for enhanced content management, adding value to the $59 price tag on ThemeForest. However, some features, like Revolution Slider, are supported but not included, which might disappoint users expecting a full out-of-the-box package.
Performance
Speed is a big selling point. Aurum is built to be lightweight, with clean HTML5 code and no bulky scripts, aiming to deliver fast load times. Lazy loading and optimized markup help keep things snappy, which is crucial for reducing bounce rates and boosting conversions. Users have praised its performance, noting it doesn’t bog down even with extensive product catalogs. That said, if you pile on heavy plugins or unoptimized images, you might need to tweak caching settings to maintain that speed.
Support and Updates
Laborator has a solid reputation for support, with users frequently highlighting quick, polite, and thorough responses—sometimes even fixing custom CSS for free. The theme is regularly updated, with compatibility for WordPress 6.7.x and WooCommerce 9.5.x confirmed in early 2025. Changelog notes show consistent bug fixes and feature additions, though users are advised to disable caching plugins during updates to avoid stale markup issues. This level of maintenance is a rarity among ThemeForest offerings and a definite plus.
Pros
- Minimalist and elegant design: Perfect for showcasing products without distraction.
- Customization options: From page builders to custom code, it’s flexible for beginners and pros alike.
- Fast and responsive: Optimized for speed and mobile use.
- Great support: Laborator’s team is responsive and helpful.
- Feature-rich: Bundled plugins and WooCommerce integration add versatility.
Cons
- Demo images not included: You’ll need your own high-quality visuals.
- Some features cost extra: WPML and UberMenu compatibility requires additional purchases.
- Learning curve: While beginner-friendly, unlocking its full potential might take some tinkering.
User Feedback
Aurum enjoys a 4.77/5 rating on ThemeForest from over 450 reviews, with more than 2,700 sales. Users love its clean design, ease of setup, and stellar support. A theme author praised its flexibility, saying, “If you’re still thinking to buy it, just do it.” Others call it “the best WooCommerce theme ever” for its performance and polish. On the flip side, some note that advanced customizations require CSS knowledge, and a few wished for more bundled plugins.
Verdict
Aurum is a top-tier choice for anyone seeking a minimalist, fast, and reliable WooCommerce theme. It’s ideal for small to medium-sized stores prioritizing aesthetics and user experience over flashy bells and whistles. At $59, it’s a solid investment, especially given the included plugins and ongoing support. If you’re ready to source your own images and don’t mind a bit of setup, Aurum delivers a professional, hassle-free eCommerce foundation. For those needing every feature pre-packaged or a dirt-cheap option, it might not be the perfect fit—but for quality and simplicity, it’s hard to beat.