What is Shopify and How Does It Work?

Thinking about launching an online store? One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is which eCommerce platform to build it on.

As one of the world’s most popular eCommerce platforms, Shopify is likely to be a top contender. It powers almost everything, from bedroom start-ups to global brands like Gymshark and Kylie Cosmetics – but is it the right platform for your brand?

Whether you’re starting from scratch or thinking about moving an existing store to Shopify, this guide covers everything you need to know – including how Shopify works, what it can do, how much it costs, and what tools it offers – helping you to decide if it’s the right platform for your business.

What is Shopify?

We’ve all heard of Shopify, but if you’ve never run an online store before, you may not know much about what it is or what it can do.

Unlike your average website builder, Shopify is purpose-built for commerce. It provides users with everything they need to start selling products or services online, in person, and across multiple channels – all from one easy-to-manage central dashboard.

It’s best known for its user-friendly interface, huge range of in-platform features and apps, and excellent scalability.

Since launching in 2006, Shopify has grown to become one of the UK’s most widely used eCommerce platforms. According to data from BuiltWith, nearly a quarter of UK ecommerce stores now use Shopify.

How does Shopify work?

Shopify is an all-in-one software-as-a-service (SaaS) eCommerce platform.

You pay a monthly subscription fee, and in return, receive access to everything you need to build, launch, and manage an online store.

Because Shopify is cloud-based and fully hosted, there’s no software to install or server to manage. Shopify takes care of the technical side of running your store, including hosting, security, and software updates – so that’s one less thing for you to worry about.

The platform is designed to take the complexity out of setting up and managing an online store. It enables you to manage every aspect of your eCommerce business through the Shopify dashboard, which you can access from any device with an internet connection.

The Shopify toolkit: How does Shopify help merchants launch and grow a successful commerce business?

Shopify’s toolkit is constantly growing. The platform regularly introduces new features and tools as technology evolves, helping its users to stay ahead of the curve and build smart and competitive online stores.

The platform combines a user-friendly interface with impressive flexibility and scalability, making it suitable for brands at all stages of their journey.

With a huge selection of built-in features, customisation options, and apps to choose from, Shopify enables merchants to create an online store and shopping experience as unique as their brand.

So, what exactly can you do with Shopify? Let’s take a look at the huge variety of tools and features Shopify offers.

Building and customising your online store

One of Shopify’s key selling points is that it is accessible to everyone – anyone can build and launch an online store using Shopify. Its intuitive design and customisation tools include:

• Drag-and-drop editor: Design and customise your online store without ever touching the code.
• 800+ pre-built mobile-responsive themes: Select a theme from the Shopify Theme Store and then customise it using Shopify’s editor.
• AI-powered theme generation tool: Describe your brand and products, and Shopify will use AI to suggest a custom design direction.

And if you want to build something more complex or bespoke, you can work with a Shopify Partner like Create8. Our Shopify developers are experienced in Shopify’s Liquid templating language and can work with you to develop a custom design.

Find products to sell

If you want to launch a store without the cost and commitment of manufacturing your own products, Shopify supports several alternative ways to source what you sell.

• Print on demand (POD): Connect a print-on-demand app like Printify or Printful to your store to start selling custom-designed products like T-shirts and mugs with no upfront inventory costs.
• Dropshipping: Connect a dropshipping app like Spocket or Dsers with your store, and the supplier will ship the product directly to your customer.
• Wholesale sourcing: Merchants can use Shopify wholesale apps like Faire to discover and buy new products and automatically sync the product data to their inventory.
• Shopify Collective: Install the Shopify Collective app to add new complementary products from other trusted Shopify brands to your store instantly. There is no upfront cost; the supplier fulfils the order, and you earn a profit margin.

Sell products and take payment

A sticky checkout process can kill conversion rates. That’s why Shopify provides merchants with a wide variety of features and tools designed to remove friction and make paying as fast and seamless as possible.

• Built-in payment processor (Shopify Payments): Merchants can use Shopify Payments to start taking payments as soon as their shop is live.
• Accelerated checkout (Shop Pay): Shop Pay is Shopify’s accelerated checkout, which it claims can increase conversion rates by as much as 50%!
• Shopify POS: If you sell your products in-person as well as online, Shopify POS software and hardware make it easy to manage your online and offline sales, inventory, and customers in one ecosystem.

Add more functionality with the Shopify App Store

Shopify’s App Store is one of its biggest strengths. Containing over 16,000 tried and tested apps, there really is an app for everything! Whether you want to add a subscription service, collect customer reviews, or sell digital products, simply plug in an app from the App Store to expand your store’s functionality in minutes.

Manage orders, fulfilment, and shipping

Shopify’s support doesn’t end once a customer hits ‘buy’. The platform offers several helpful tools to help merchants ensure their products arrive safely with the end customer, including:

• Label printing: Print shipping labels directly from the Shopify admin panel.
• Order tracking: Send customers automatic tracking updates via email or SMS.
• Shopify Fulfilment Network (SFN): Outsource warehousing, picking, packing, and returns by using the Shopify Fulfilment Network to connect with a third-party logistics provider like ShipBob or Flexport.

Sell across multiple channels

Without the right tools, selling across multiple channels can quickly become complicated and confusing. Shopify allows merchants to seamlessly connect and manage all of their sales channels within the Shopify admin panel, making it easier to reach more customers and grow without your operations becoming unnecessarily complicated.

• Social commerce: Social commerce is growing rapidly in the UK, and Shopify makes it easy for merchants to integrate their Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok stores directly into the Shopify admin panel.
• Online marketplaces: The Shopify Marketplace Connect app allows merchants to publish products and manage listings and orders from online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon from within Shopify.
• B2B wholesale: Shopify Plus includes dedicated B2B features, enabling merchants to run a separate wholesale channel alongside their direct-to-consumer store.
• International customers: Shopify Markets allows merchants to sell to international customers in their local currency and language.

Market your store and reach more customers

Of course, building your online store is just the start. Your next challenge is getting it noticed and attracting new customers. Fortunately, Shopify has plenty of tools up its sleeve to help with this side of things too, including detailed analytics and reporting, email marketing, and tools for managing affiliate and influencer partnerships.

Shopify plans and pricing

From startups to established international brands, Shopify supports businesses at every stage of their journey, and its subscription plans reflect this, offering different levels of functionality to suit different needs and budgets.

As of September 2026, its four plans are priced as follows:

Is Shopify the right platform for your business?

At Create8, we have been using Shopify to build competitive, conversion-optimised eCommerce stores for our clients for over a decade. We find that in the vast majority of cases, Shopify has everything required to build and manage a profitable eCommerce empire.

Shopify may be the right choice if:

• You’re building a product-led eCommerce business and want a platform that won’t limit your growth.
• You sell (or plan to sell) across multiple channels.
• You want to expand internationally.
• You want to be able to extend your store’s functionality without custom development.
• You want to scale toward £1m+ revenue and want a platform that grows with you.

You may wish to discuss alternatives with us if:

• You’re primarily a content publisher with a small product range.
• Your business model is heavily B2B with complex quoting, custom pricing, or ERP-tiered workflows.
• You need full ownership of your server infrastructure.

Contact Create8 to learn more about Shopify’s capabilities and to receive tailored advice about whether it is the right fit for your business.

Shopify FAQs

Is Shopify suitable for beginners?
Yes. Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop editor. Its website builder and ready-made themes make setting up an online store simple, even if you don’t have any coding or web development experience.

How much does Shopify cost in the UK?
Shopify offers plans to suit every business, no matter where they are in their journey. As of September 2026, plans are priced as follows: Basic £25 p/m, Grow £65 p/m, Advanced £344 p/m, Plus from £1,800 p/m. Discounts are available if you pay annually.

Does Shopify charge transaction fees?
Yes, payment processing fees apply when using Shopify Payments. Rates vary by plan and payment method.

Can I use my own domain name?
Yes. You can connect an existing domain name to your Shopify store.

What’s the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus?
Standard Shopify plans are suitable for most types of businesses, from solo entrepreneurs to growing international retailers. However, for large enterprise businesses with very complex needs or high volumes of sales, Shopify Plus offers advanced features, including a fully customisable checkout and B2B wholesale channels.

Is Shopify available in the UK?
Yes. Shopify is available to UK businesses and offers pricing, tax tools, and carrier integrations configured to support UK merchants.

Work with a Shopify Partner

Need some help launching your Shopify store or learning how to get more from the platform?

At Create8, we’re a Shopify Plus Partner agency based in Stockport, Manchester. We’ve been helping brands build bigger and better Shopify stores for over a decade. Whether you’re launching a new store, migrating from another platform, or scaling an existing business, we’re here to lend our expertise and help bring your vision to life.

To discuss your project idea with one of our experts, call us on 0161 820 9686 or slide into our inbox by emailing hello@create8.co.uk.