Shopify

Developers, our ecosystem hit new milestones in 2024: → $1B in app payouts (+37%) → 16K+ apps published (+23%) → 1.6B App Store sessions by merchants (+15%) We’re celebrating by bringing the builders back to Toronto this May. Join us at Editions.dev for debugging, pair programming, and an exclusive AMA with Shopify Founder and CEO Tobi Lütke. Tickets are available at https://Editions.dev… because you can’t ask when we’re unifying our app UIs if you aren’t registered.

Lady Gaga’s new website is hitting all the right notes. Immediately after its launch, add-to-cart rates increased by 128% and average order value rose by 55%. How’d she do it? Hydrogen. Hydrogen is an open-source framework for headless commerce. It’s ideal for merchants, like Lady Gaga, looking for bespoke solutions and building custom storefronts on Shopify. Enter: Commerce-UI, a Shopify Plus agency that specializes in Hydrogen. Commerce-UI used Hydrogen to: → Bring the creative concepts of Lady Gaga and Melody Yung of Yung Studio to life, such as the interactive 3D albums that move diagonally across the Music page. → Integrate a custom content management system, giving Lady Gaga’s team the autonomy to manage and update content quickly without relying on outside engineers. → Create a mobile and desktop-optimized site that can handle high volumes of traffic, including hundreds of thousands of visitors during major launches. Read more about how Commerce-UI rebuilt Lady Gaga’s site with Hydrogen: https://lnkd.in/exJDCvGs

Toys, fitness, quilting, and tablescape decor were top of mind for US consumers in February. We looked at month over month sales from hundreds of thousands of Shopify merchants to uncover what was trending. Here are the highlights: → Interest in toys and games surged, especially those with nostalgia ties like animal figures (+307%), play dough and putty (+92%). Sales of sports trading cards were up 848%, while gaming cards were up 816% and trended in Canada and Australia as well. → Consumers are investing in items that enhance their workout routine from fitness equipment like ab wheels (+190%) and stair steppers (+165%) to apparel like jogger shorts (+75%) and track jackets (+38%). → Sewing and quilting are making a resurgence with crafters. Demand was up for quilting thread (+201%) and rulers (+131%), fabric repair kits (+80%), and printable fabric (+60%). → Fueled by Valentine’s Day gatherings, consumers are enhancing their dining experience with items like place cards (+157%), cocktail decorations (+121%), and fresh cut flowers (+106%).

Describe your business and watch AI bring it to life. Our new AI store setup creates custom storefronts from a simple prompt, like “plants and garden accessories.”  Starting a business can be intimidating. That’s why we’re lowering the barriers to entry. With AI store setup, new merchants can save time and reach their first sale faster with a personalized, professional-looking storefront.

Entrepreneurship's next big thing? Generation Alpha. Kids born between 2010 and 2024 are showing early signs that they have what it takes to make it. Here’s why: → They’re creating income streams from an early age. According to Visa, over three quarters of Gen Alpha in the UK earned money in 2023, with 43% using technology to do so. → Kids are becoming more financially literate. From checkout.com, more than 30% of US teens used mobile payments in 2024 and globally and 64% of children are spending money independently online. → Children are monetizing their internet use. Emarketer shares that more than 36 million U.S. kids under 11 are using the internet, resulting in children as young as seven unlocking monetary potential by becoming social media influencers. Young entrepreneurs like Johnny Lye of Ovrload and Mya Beaudry of Kokom Scrunchies are proof that even at a young age, Gen Alpha can achieve entrepreneurial success. Read their stories: https://lnkd.in/eaZ4F38F

Forget surface-level endorsements. Tom Holland's BERO is a masterclass in brewing a brand with authenticity.  Founded in 2024, BERO is a premium non-alcoholic beer born from Tom’s personal journey to sobriety—including the challenges he faced in finding a good-tasting option he could proudly enjoy with friends and family. Tom has been instrumental in every phase of its creation, from carefully crafting a look and feel that's both premium and uniquely his. This isn't just a product; it’s a deeply personal extension of Tom.

Invest in your community, and they'll invest in you. That's exactly what Australian influencer and entrepreneur Tammy Hembrow did when she first started out. By authentically sharing her life—fitness, fashion, and motherhood—she built a loyal social media following that expressed interest in learning more about her wellness journey. Tammy studied her community, listened to their feedback, and implemented what she heard. She invested $400 in a fitness PDF, which turned into her fitness app, Tammy Fit, and then launched her own activewear brand, Saski. The launch oversold, a testament to her dedicated fanbase and a challenge for any new business wanting to make a strong first impression. Tammy turned this potential setback into an opportunity to connect more closely with her community.

Developers, tickets just dropped for Editions.dev 2025, our gathering for the Shopify ecosystem. Join us in Toronto from May 29–30 for product deep-dives, 1:1 time with the builders behind our developer platform, and connecting with other app, theme, and storefront builders. Tickets are available at https://Editions.dev. Rubber ducking is better in person.

Women are not just starting businesses—they're excelling. The proof is in the numbers.

More than 875 million people purchased from Shopify online businesses in 2024. Curious what this data shows about online shopping? Here’s what we’re seeing: → Businesses are successfully acquiring new customers, with first-time shoppers to each Shopify business increasing by 17% since 2023 and 33% since 2022. → Return shoppers grew by 59% over the past two years, signaling strong brand affinity among consumers. → Order volume increased by 49% over three years. The apparel and accessory industry had the highest overall order volume for shops generating more than $1 million in annual GMV. → Most orders are now placed on mobile devices, with mobile purchase volume up 20% since 2023.