diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/error-boundary.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/error-boundary.spec.ts
index a0f4a8f..ef540df 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/error-boundary.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/error-boundary.spec.ts
@@ -12,28 +12,35 @@ test.describe('Error boundaries', () => {
     await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Back to the shop' })).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('a throw in the item grid leaves the header and theme switch usable', async ({ page }) => {
+  test('a throw in the item grid leaves the header and theme switch usable', async ({
+    page,
+    storefront,
+    header
+  }) => {
     await page.goto('/?boom=catalogue');
 
-    await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: "The item list didn't load" })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.catalogueBoundaryHeading).toBeVisible();
 
     // The claim this boundary exists to make: a bad item no longer takes
     // navigation down with it.
-    await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Redefined Designs' })).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(page.getByRole('switch')).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(header.siteTitle).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(header.themeToggle).toBeVisible();
 
     // And the root boundary did not also fire — only the nearest one should.
     await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Something went wrong' })).toHaveCount(0);
   });
 
-  test('a throw in the modal block leaves the storefront behind it intact', async ({ page }) => {
+  test('a throw in the modal block leaves the storefront behind it intact', async ({
+    page,
+    header
+  }) => {
     await page.goto('/?boom=modal');
 
     await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: "Couldn't open that" })).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Redefined Designs' })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(header.siteTitle).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('a caught error is reported to the server', async ({ page }) => {
+  test('a caught error is reported to the server', async ({ page, storefront }) => {
     const reports: string[] = [];
     page.on('request', (request) => {
       if (request.url().includes('/api/client-errors')) {
@@ -42,7 +49,7 @@ test.describe('Error boundaries', () => {
     });
 
     await page.goto('/?boom=catalogue');
-    await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: "The item list didn't load" })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.catalogueBoundaryHeading).toBeVisible();
 
     // Observed on the wire rather than trusting that the reporter was called.
     //
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/filters.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/filters.spec.ts
index f497ce1..c9f1a4d 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/filters.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/filters.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
-import { test, expect, APIRequestContext } from './fixtures';
+import {
+  test,
+  expect,
+  createAdminContext,
+  createCategory,
+  createTag,
+  createItem,
+  uniqueSuffix
+} from './fixtures';
 
 // The storefront shows every item ever seeded, and the e2e database is not
 // reset between runs. Every fixture below is therefore suffixed with a unique
@@ -6,7 +14,7 @@ import { test, expect, APIRequestContext } from './fixtures';
 // Playwright runs beforeAll once per worker, so the suffix mixes a timestamp
 // with randomness — two workers starting in the same millisecond would
 // otherwise seed colliding category names and 409 against each other.
-const RUN = `f${Date.now().toString(36)}${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 7)}`;
+const RUN = `f${uniqueSuffix()}`;
 
 const NAMES = {
   furniture: `Furniture ${RUN}`,
@@ -20,41 +28,8 @@ const NAMES = {
   dearItem: `Dear cabinet ${RUN}`
 };
 
-async function createCategory(api: APIRequestContext, name: string, parentId: number | null) {
-  const res = await api.post('/api/admin/categories', { data: { name, parent_id: parentId } });
-  expect(res.status()).toBe(201);
-  return (await res.json()).id as number;
-}
-
-async function createTag(api: APIRequestContext, name: string) {
-  const res = await api.post('/api/admin/tags', { data: { name } });
-  expect(res.status()).toBe(201);
-  return (await res.json()).id as number;
-}
-
-async function createItem(
-  api: APIRequestContext,
-  name: string,
-  price: string,
-  categoryId: number | null,
-  tags: string[]
-) {
-  const res = await api.post('/api/admin/items', {
-    multipart: {
-      name,
-      description: '',
-      price,
-      category_id: categoryId === null ? '' : String(categoryId),
-      tags: JSON.stringify(tags)
-    }
-  });
-  expect(res.ok()).toBeTruthy();
-  // New items are pending; the storefront only lists published ones.
-  expect((await api.post(`/api/admin/items/${(await res.json()).id}/mark-available`)).ok()).toBeTruthy();
-}
-
 test.beforeAll(async ({ playwright }) => {
-  const api = await playwright.request.newContext({ baseURL: 'http://localhost:5173' });
+  const api = await createAdminContext(playwright);
 
   // A worker can be handed tests from this file in more than one batch, which
   // re-runs beforeAll against the module-cached suffix. Seeding twice would
@@ -67,130 +42,124 @@ test.beforeAll(async ({ playwright }) => {
     return;
   }
 
-  const furniture = await createCategory(api, NAMES.furniture, null);
+  const furniture = await createCategory(api, NAMES.furniture);
   const tables = await createCategory(api, NAMES.tables, furniture);
-  const decor = await createCategory(api, NAMES.decor, null);
+  const decor = await createCategory(api, NAMES.decor);
   await createTag(api, NAMES.vintage);
   await createTag(api, NAMES.oak);
 
   // Filed one level below the category the tests select, to prove descendant
   // matching rather than an exact-node match.
-  await createItem(api, NAMES.deepItem, '340', tables, [NAMES.vintage, NAMES.oak]);
-  await createItem(api, NAMES.midItem, '120', furniture, [NAMES.vintage]);
-  await createItem(api, NAMES.otherItem, '90', decor, [NAMES.vintage, NAMES.oak]);
-  await createItem(api, NAMES.dearItem, '5000', tables, [NAMES.vintage, NAMES.oak]);
+  await createItem(api, { name: NAMES.deepItem, price: '340', categoryId: tables, tags: [NAMES.vintage, NAMES.oak] });
+  await createItem(api, { name: NAMES.midItem, price: '120', categoryId: furniture, tags: [NAMES.vintage] });
+  await createItem(api, { name: NAMES.otherItem, price: '90', categoryId: decor, tags: [NAMES.vintage, NAMES.oak] });
+  await createItem(api, { name: NAMES.dearItem, price: '5000', categoryId: tables, tags: [NAMES.vintage, NAMES.oak] });
 
   await api.dispose();
 });
 
-function card(page: import('@playwright/test').Page, name: string) {
-  return page.getByRole('heading', { name });
-}
-
 test.describe('Storefront filters', () => {
-  test('filters by category, including everything filed beneath it', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.otherItem)).toBeVisible();
+  test('filters by category, including everything filed beneath it', async ({
+    storefront,
+    filterDrawer
+  }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.otherItem)).toBeVisible();
 
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('treeitem', { name: NAMES.furniture }).click();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
+    await filterDrawer.chooseCategory(NAMES.furniture);
 
     // Both the item filed directly in Furniture and the one nested under
     // Furniture > Tables must survive.
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.midItem)).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.otherItem)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.midItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.otherItem)).toBeHidden();
   });
 
-  test('a nested category is reachable in the drawer', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
+  test('a nested category is reachable in the drawer', async ({ storefront, filterDrawer }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
 
     // The tree loads after the drawer mounts, so anything below the roots is
     // only reachable if expansion tracks the loaded data rather than the state
     // at mount time.
-    await page.getByRole('treeitem', { name: NAMES.tables }).click();
+    await filterDrawer.chooseCategory(NAMES.tables);
 
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.midItem)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.midItem)).toBeHidden();
   });
 
-  test('requires every selected tag rather than any of them', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
+  test('requires every selected tag rather than any of them', async ({ storefront, filterDrawer }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
 
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: NAMES.vintage }).click();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.midItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await filterDrawer.toggleTag(NAMES.vintage);
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.midItem)).toBeVisible();
 
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: NAMES.oak }).click();
+    await filterDrawer.toggleTag(NAMES.oak);
     // midItem carries only `vintage`, so adding `oak` must drop it.
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.midItem)).toBeHidden();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.midItem)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('filters by price range', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
+  test('filters by price range', async ({ storefront, filterDrawer }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
 
-    await page.getByLabel('Minimum price').fill('200');
-    await page.getByLabel('Maximum price').fill('1000');
+    await filterDrawer.setPriceRange('200', '1000');
 
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.midItem)).toBeHidden();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.dearItem)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.midItem)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.dearItem)).toBeHidden();
   });
 
-  test('removing a chip widens the results again', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('treeitem', { name: NAMES.decor }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close' }).click();
+  test('removing a chip widens the results again', async ({ storefront, filterDrawer }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
+    await filterDrawer.chooseCategory(NAMES.decor);
+    await filterDrawer.close();
 
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeHidden();
 
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: `Remove filter ${NAMES.decor}` }).click();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await storefront.removeFilterChip(NAMES.decor).click();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('clear all removes every active filter', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('treeitem', { name: NAMES.decor }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: NAMES.vintage }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close' }).click();
+  test('clear all removes every active filter', async ({ page, storefront, filterDrawer }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
+    await filterDrawer.chooseCategory(NAMES.decor);
+    await filterDrawer.toggleTag(NAMES.vintage);
+    await filterDrawer.close();
 
-    // Scoped to the chip row: the drawer carries a "Clear all" of its own.
-    await page
-      .getByRole('group', { name: 'Active filters' })
-      .getByRole('button', { name: 'Clear all' })
-      .click();
+    await storefront.clearAllFilters();
 
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.otherItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.otherItem)).toBeVisible();
     await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/$/);
   });
 
-  test('a filtered view survives a reload', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('treeitem', { name: NAMES.furniture }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close' }).click();
+  test('a filtered view survives a reload', async ({ page, storefront, filterDrawer }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
+    await filterDrawer.chooseCategory(NAMES.furniture);
+    await filterDrawer.close();
 
     await expect(page).toHaveURL(/category=\d+/);
     await page.reload();
 
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(card(page, NAMES.otherItem)).toBeHidden();
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: `Remove filter ${NAMES.furniture}` })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.deepItem)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.card(NAMES.otherItem)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.removeFilterChip(NAMES.furniture)).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('shows an item\'s tags on its card', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('treeitem', { name: NAMES.decor }).click();
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close' }).click();
+  test("shows an item's tags on its card", async ({ storefront, filterDrawer }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.openFilters();
+    await filterDrawer.chooseCategory(NAMES.decor);
+    await filterDrawer.close();
 
-    const wallArt = page.locator('.item-card').filter({ hasText: NAMES.otherItem });
+    const wallArt = storefront.card(NAMES.otherItem);
     await expect(wallArt.getByText(NAMES.vintage)).toBeVisible();
     await expect(wallArt.getByText(NAMES.oak)).toBeVisible();
   });
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/fixtures.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/fixtures.ts
index 653ebed..f1233e1 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/fixtures.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/fixtures.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { AccountModal } from './pages/AccountModal';
 import { StorefrontPage } from './pages/StorefrontPage';
 import { AdminPage } from './pages/AdminPage';
 import { PasswordResetPages } from './pages/PasswordResetPages';
+import { FilterDrawer } from './pages/FilterDrawer';
 import { uniqueEmail } from './support/api';
 
 // Re-exported so specs can import everything from here — expect, Page,
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ interface Pages {
   storefront: StorefrontPage;
   admin: AdminPage;
   passwordReset: PasswordResetPages;
+  filterDrawer: FilterDrawer;
 }
 
 interface Data {
@@ -93,6 +95,9 @@ export const test = base.extend<Pages & Data & { collectCoverage: void }>({
   passwordReset: async ({ page }, use) => {
     await use(new PasswordResetPages(page));
   },
+  filterDrawer: async ({ page }, use) => {
+    await use(new FilterDrawer(page));
+  },
 
   adminApi: async ({ playwright, baseURL }, use) => {
     const context = await playwright.request.newContext({ baseURL });
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/FilterDrawer.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/FilterDrawer.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..193c250
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/FilterDrawer.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { Locator, Page } from '@playwright/test';
+
+/**
+ * The storefront's filter drawer.
+ *
+ * Categories are a tree rather than a list, because a category filter matches
+ * the node and everything filed beneath it — so the locator is `treeitem`, and
+ * a nested category is only reachable once the tree has loaded its data.
+ *
+ * Tags are buttons that toggle. The rule they follow is AND, not OR: selecting
+ * two tags means "must have both", which is deliberately different from how
+ * categories combine and is the thing several tests exist to pin down.
+ */
+export class FilterDrawer {
+  readonly minimumPrice: Locator;
+  readonly maximumPrice: Locator;
+  readonly closeButton: Locator;
+  readonly clearAllButton: Locator;
+
+  constructor(private readonly page: Page) {
+    this.minimumPrice = page.getByLabel('Minimum price');
+    this.maximumPrice = page.getByLabel('Maximum price');
+    this.closeButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close' });
+    this.clearAllButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Clear all' });
+  }
+
+  category(name: string): Locator {
+    return this.page.getByRole('treeitem', { name });
+  }
+
+  tag(name: string): Locator {
+    return this.page.getByRole('button', { name });
+  }
+
+  async chooseCategory(name: string): Promise<void> {
+    await this.category(name).click();
+  }
+
+  async toggleTag(name: string): Promise<void> {
+    await this.tag(name).click();
+  }
+
+  async setPriceRange(minimum?: string, maximum?: string): Promise<void> {
+    if (minimum !== undefined) await this.minimumPrice.fill(minimum);
+    if (maximum !== undefined) await this.maximumPrice.fill(maximum);
+  }
+
+  async close(): Promise<void> {
+    await this.closeButton.click();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/Header.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/Header.ts
index e9c2315..7ed4bf5 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/Header.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/Header.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ export class Header {
   readonly signUpButton: Locator;
   readonly cartButton: Locator;
   readonly themeToggle: Locator;
+  /**
+   * Where the theme actually lands. The switch is in the header, and the
+   * attribute it writes is on <body> — so the control and its observable
+   * effect are named together rather than a spec knowing about `body`.
+   */
+  readonly themedBody: Locator;
 
   constructor(page: Page) {
     this.siteTitle = page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Redefined Designs' });
@@ -23,6 +29,7 @@ export class Header {
     this.signUpButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sign up' });
     this.cartButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: /Cart/ });
     this.themeToggle = page.getByRole('switch');
+    this.themedBody = page.locator('body');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -40,4 +47,9 @@ export class Header {
   async waitForSignedOut(): Promise<void> {
     await expect(this.myAccountButton).toHaveCount(0);
   }
+
+  /** The theme currently applied, as the attribute a stylesheet reads. */
+  async currentTheme(): Promise<string | null> {
+    return this.themedBody.getAttribute('data-theme');
+  }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/StorefrontPage.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/StorefrontPage.ts
index 01b3fc1..8e5c2f7 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/StorefrontPage.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/pages/StorefrontPage.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { Locator, Page, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 import { Header } from './Header';
 
 /**
- * The public catalogue.
+ * The public catalogue, and the states it shows instead of one.
  *
  * The item card locator is the one place in the suite that knows the storefront
  * renders items into `.item-card` — three specs reached for that class directly,
@@ -13,14 +13,39 @@ import { Header } from './Header';
 export class StorefrontPage {
   readonly header: Header;
   readonly filtersButton: Locator;
+  readonly privacyPolicyLink: Locator;
+  /**
+   * The chip row summarising what is filtered, which lives on the storefront
+   * rather than in the drawer. Scoping matters: the drawer carries a "Clear
+   * all" of its own, so an unscoped one matches both.
+   */
+  readonly activeFilters: Locator;
+
+  /**
+   * The three things the catalogue can say instead of listing items. Named
+   * together because the distinction between them is the point: telling a
+   * customer "No items yet" while the server is broken reads as an empty shop
+   * and hides the outage, so several tests assert one is showing and another
+   * is not.
+   */
+  readonly emptyNotice: Locator;
+  readonly loadFailureNotice: Locator;
   readonly retryButton: Locator;
-  readonly loadFailureHeading: Locator;
+
+  /** What the nearest error boundary renders when the grid itself throws. */
+  readonly catalogueBoundaryHeading: Locator;
 
   constructor(private readonly page: Page) {
     this.header = new Header(page);
     this.filtersButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: /Filters/ });
+    this.privacyPolicyLink = page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Privacy Policy' });
+    this.activeFilters = page.getByRole('group', { name: 'Active filters' });
+
+    this.emptyNotice = page.getByText('No items yet');
+    this.loadFailureNotice = page.getByText("Couldn't load items");
     this.retryButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Retry' });
-    this.loadFailureHeading = page.getByRole('heading', { name: "The item list didn't load" });
+
+    this.catalogueBoundaryHeading = page.getByRole('heading', { name: "The item list didn't load" });
   }
 
   async goto(): Promise<void> {
@@ -59,6 +84,14 @@ export class StorefrontPage {
     await this.filtersButton.click();
   }
 
+  removeFilterChip(name: string): Locator {
+    return this.page.getByRole('button', { name: `Remove filter ${name}` });
+  }
+
+  async clearAllFilters(): Promise<void> {
+    await this.activeFilters.getByRole('button', { name: 'Clear all' }).click();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Waits until the catalogue has rendered something.
    *
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront-errors.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront-errors.spec.ts
index 5a6539c..74d69cc 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront-errors.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront-errors.spec.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,24 @@
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures';
 
 test.describe('Storefront failure states', () => {
-  test('reports a server failure instead of claiming the store is empty', async ({ page }) => {
+  test('reports a server failure instead of claiming the store is empty', async ({
+    page,
+    storefront
+  }) => {
     await page.route('**/api/items*', (route) =>
       route.fulfill({ status: 500, contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"error":"internal error"}' })
     );
 
-    await page.goto('/');
+    await storefront.goto();
 
     // Telling a customer "no items yet" when the server is broken is worse than
     // saying nothing — it reads as an empty catalogue and hides the outage.
-    await expect(page.getByText('No items yet')).toBeHidden();
-    await expect(page.getByText("Couldn't load items")).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Retry' })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.emptyNotice).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.loadFailureNotice).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.retryButton).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('recovers when the server comes back', async ({ page }) => {
+  test('recovers when the server comes back', async ({ page, storefront }) => {
     let failing = true;
     await page.route('**/api/items*', (route) => {
       if (failing) {
@@ -24,22 +27,25 @@ test.describe('Storefront failure states', () => {
       return route.continue();
     });
 
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Retry' })).toBeVisible();
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await expect(storefront.retryButton).toBeVisible();
 
     failing = false;
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Retry' }).click();
+    await storefront.retryButton.click();
 
-    await expect(page.getByText("Couldn't load items")).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.loadFailureNotice).toBeHidden();
   });
 
-  test('a request that never resolves does not render as an empty catalogue', async ({ page }) => {
+  test('a request that never resolves does not render as an empty catalogue', async ({
+    page,
+    storefront
+  }) => {
     // Mirrors the real incident: an un-migrated database left every item query
     // hanging with no response at all.
     await page.route('**/api/items*', () => { /* never fulfilled */ });
 
-    await page.goto('/');
+    await storefront.goto();
 
-    await expect(page.getByText('No items yet')).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(storefront.emptyNotice).toBeHidden();
   });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront.spec.ts
index 6f5d4b2..93e0751 100755
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/storefront.spec.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures';
 
 test.describe('Storefront', () => {
-  test('loads and shows the site title', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await expect(page.getByText('Redefined Designs')).toBeVisible();
+  test('loads and shows the site title', async ({ storefront }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await expect(storefront.header.siteTitle).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('links to the privacy policy from the footer', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Privacy Policy' }).click();
+  test('links to the privacy policy from the footer', async ({ page, storefront }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await storefront.privacyPolicyLink.click();
     await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/privacy/);
     await expect(page.getByText('What we collect')).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  test('offers login and sign up when logged out', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log in' })).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sign up' })).toBeVisible();
+  test('offers login and sign up when logged out', async ({ storefront }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await expect(storefront.header.logInButton).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(storefront.header.signUpButton).toBeVisible();
   });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/support/api.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/support/api.ts
index f51174c..282ca15 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/support/api.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/support/api.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 import { APIRequestContext, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 
+/**
+ * Where the app under test is served.
+ *
+ * Matches playwright.config.ts's baseURL. It exists as a constant because
+ * `beforeAll` runs with worker-scoped fixtures only and cannot read the
+ * test-scoped `baseURL` option, so a seeding hook has to name the host itself.
+ * One spec used to write it inline, which meant changing the port in the config
+ * moved every test except that one.
+ */
+export const BASE_URL = process.env.PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL ?? 'http://localhost:5173';
+
 /**
  * Seeding through the admin API.
  *
@@ -13,6 +24,13 @@ import { APIRequestContext, expect } from '@playwright/test';
  * working, so a broken form fails a hundred tests that are not about it.
  */
 
+/** An admin API context for `beforeAll`, where the `adminApi` fixture is out of reach. */
+export async function createAdminContext(
+  playwright: { request: { newContext: (o: { baseURL: string }) => Promise<APIRequestContext> } }
+): Promise<APIRequestContext> {
+  return playwright.request.newContext({ baseURL: BASE_URL });
+}
+
 export interface SeededItem {
   id: number;
   name: string;
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/theme.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/theme.spec.ts
index 6c43a9c..2b0bd16 100755
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/theme.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/theme.spec.ts
@@ -1,25 +1,23 @@
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures';
 
 test.describe('Theme switching', () => {
-  test('toggling the switch changes the body theme attribute', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    const body = page.locator('body');
-    const initial = await body.getAttribute('data-theme');
+  test('toggling the switch changes the body theme attribute', async ({ storefront, header }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    const initial = await header.currentTheme();
 
-    await page.getByRole('switch').click();
+    await header.themeToggle.click();
 
     await expect(async () => {
-      const updated = await body.getAttribute('data-theme');
-      expect(updated).not.toBe(initial);
+      expect(await header.currentTheme()).not.toBe(initial);
     }).toPass();
   });
 
-  test('theme preference persists across a reload', async ({ page }) => {
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByRole('switch').click();
-    const chosen = await page.locator('body').getAttribute('data-theme');
+  test('theme preference persists across a reload', async ({ page, storefront, header }) => {
+    await storefront.goto();
+    await header.themeToggle.click();
+    const chosen = await header.currentTheme();
 
     await page.reload();
-    await expect(page.locator('body')).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', chosen || '');
+    await expect(header.themedBody).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', chosen || '');
   });
 });