Find Shopify Stores: The Ultimate Guide
Step 1: Understand Why You Want to Find Shopify Stores
1.1 Identify Your Goal for Finding Shopify Stores
Before embarking on the search for Shopify stores, clearly define your objective. Are you looking for competitor analysis to understand their product offerings, pricing strategies, or unique selling propositions? Perhaps you’re a developer seeking potential clients for app integration or theme customization. Maybe you’re a dropshipper looking for successful product niches, or a marketer identifying stores for collaboration or affiliate partnerships. Your specific goal will dictate the depth and breadth of your search, helping you filter irrelevant results and focus on what truly matters. For example, if you’re analyzing competitors, you’ll want to note their product photography, customer reviews, and shipping policies. If you’re a developer, you might prioritize stores using older themes or lacking specific functionalities.
1.2 Determine the Specific Information You Need
Once your goal is clear, list the precise data points you need to extract from the Shopify stores you find. This could include the store’s niche, product categories, average product price, estimated traffic, app integrations, theme used, shipping methods, social media presence, or even their customer service response time. For instance, if you’re a dropshipper, knowing the product type, its price range, and the store’s apparent success indicators (like social proof or number of reviews) is crucial. If you’re a B2B service provider, identifying the store’s size (e.g., number of products, apparent revenue) and their current tech stack (beyond just Shopify) will help you qualify leads. Having a checklist of desired information will streamline your data collection process and ensure you gather actionable insights.
Step 2: Utilize Online Tools and Directories
2.1 Leverage BuiltWith for Technology Stacks
BuiltWith is an incredibly powerful tool for identifying the technologies a website uses, including its e-commerce platform. To use it, navigate to BuiltWith.com and enter the URL of any website you suspect might be a Shopify store (or any website you want to analyze). BuiltWith will then generate a detailed report, listing all detected technologies, including content management systems, analytics tools, payment gateways, and specifically, e-commerce platforms. Look for “Shopify” or “Shopify Plus” under the “E-commerce” section. BuiltWith also provides historical data and trends, which can be useful for understanding a store’s growth or changes in its tech stack over time. While the free version offers basic insights, a paid subscription unlocks more detailed reports, lead generation features, and the ability to filter by technology usage across entire industries or countries.
2.2 Explore Shopify Store Directories
While not exhaustive, several online directories specifically list Shopify stores, often categorized by niche, popularity, or location. One prominent example is Shopify’s own examples page, which showcases successful stores across various industries. Although this is a curated list, it’s excellent for inspiration and understanding best practices. Other third-party directories, often compiled by app developers or marketing agencies, also exist. A quick Google search for “Shopify store directory” or “best Shopify stores list” will reveal many options. When browsing these directories, pay attention to the store’s design, product presentation, and overall user experience. Some directories also provide filters, allowing you to narrow down your search by product type, revenue size, or geographic location, making them valuable for targeted research.
Step 3: Employ Manual Search Techniques
3.1 Use Google Search Operators Effectively
Google search operators are powerful modifiers that can significantly refine your search results. To find Shopify stores, combine specific keywords with these operators. For instance, to find stores selling “handmade jewelry” on Shopify, you could use: site:myshopify.com "handmade jewelry". This targets only subdomains of myshopify.com (which is the default domain for new Shopify stores before they acquire a custom one) that contain the phrase “handmade jewelry.” Other useful operators include:
inurl:shopify + "your product niche": Finds pages with “shopify” in the URL and your niche keyword.intitle:shop + "your product niche": Finds pages with “shop” in the title and your niche keyword."Powered by Shopify" + "your product niche": Searches for sites explicitly stating they are powered by Shopify, often found in footers."shopify" site:.com (or .co.uk, etc.) + "product type": Narrows the search to specific top-level domains.
Experiment with different combinations to discover new stores. For instance, combining "customer reviews" site:myshopify.com "yoga mats" can help you find stores selling yoga mats with readily available customer feedback.
3.2 Analyze Website Footers and Source Code
Many Shopify stores, particularly smaller ones or those using standard themes, include a “Powered by Shopify” or “Shopify” link in their website footer. This is a quick visual cue. If you don’t see it immediately, you can inspect the website’s source code. Right-click anywhere on the webpage (excluding images or links) and select “View Page Source” or “Inspect Element” (the exact wording varies by browser). Once the source code window opens, use the search function (Ctrl+F on Windows, Cmd+F on Mac) and type “shopify”. If the site is built on Shopify, you’ll likely find references to Shopify scripts, stylesheets, or domains (e.g., cdn.shopify.com, myshopify.com) within the code. This method is highly reliable as it directly checks the underlying platform technology, even if the footer link is removed or customized.
Step 4: Network and Engage with the E-commerce Community
4.1 Participate in Online Forums and Groups
Joining e-commerce-focused online forums and social media groups (e.g., Facebook groups, Reddit communities like r/shopify, r/ecommerce) can be an excellent way to discover Shopify stores. Members often share their own stores for feedback, promote products, or ask for advice, inadvertently revealing their platforms. Look for groups specifically dedicated to Shopify store owners, dropshipping, or e-commerce marketing. Engage in discussions, ask relevant questions, and contribute value. As you become an active member, you’ll gain access to a wealth of information, including direct links to stores, success stories, and even “failure stories” that can teach valuable lessons. Many group administrators also run weekly “share your store” threads, which are goldmines for discovery.
4.2 Attend E-commerce Webinars and Events
E-commerce webinars, online summits, and virtual conferences are often attended by Shopify store owners, app developers, and industry experts. During Q&A sessions, networking breaks, or presentation slides, attendees and speakers may reference or showcase their own Shopify stores as examples. Look for events focused on specific niches (e.g., “e-commerce for fashion brands,” “dropshipping strategies”) as these will attract a more targeted audience. Many events also feature “virtual exhibition halls” where app providers or service companies display client case studies, often linking directly to Shopify stores they’ve worked with. Pay attention to speaker bios and company descriptions, as they often hint at the type of e-commerce platforms their clients use. Subscribing to e-commerce newsletters and following industry leaders on LinkedIn can keep you informed about upcoming events.
FAQ 1: Can I find Shopify stores based on their sales volume or revenue?
Directly finding Shopify stores based on their exact sales volume or revenue is not publicly possible due to privacy and proprietary business data. However, there are indirect indicators and third-party tools that provide estimations. Tools like SimilarWeb or SpyFu can offer traffic estimates, which can be loosely correlated with potential revenue. Analyzing a store’s social media engagement, number of reviews, and product range can also give a qualitative sense of its scale. Some specialized market research tools claim to estimate revenue, but their accuracy can vary and they are typically expensive.
FAQ 2: Are there any free tools to find Shopify stores?
Yes, several free methods and tools can help you find Shopify stores. Google search operators (as detailed in Section 3.1) are completely free and highly effective. BuiltWith offers a free version that provides basic technology detection for individual websites. Inspecting website footers and source code is also a free manual method. Participating in free online forums and groups (Section 4.1) allows you to discover stores shared by community members. While these free options might require more manual effort, they are excellent starting points.
FAQ 3: How can I verify if a store is indeed on Shopify after finding it?
The most reliable ways to verify if a store is on Shopify are: 1. Check the website’s footer for a “Powered by Shopify” link. 2. Right-click on the page and “View Page Source” (or “Inspect Element”), then search for “shopify” (Ctrl+F/Cmd+F). Look for references to cdn.shopify.com, myshopify.com, or Shopify-specific scripts. 3. Use an online tool like BuiltWith.com: enter the website’s URL, and it will list the detected e-commerce platform. If it explicitly states “Shopify” or “Shopify Plus,” your verification is complete.
FAQ 4: Why would finding Shopify stores be beneficial for me?
Finding Shopify stores can be beneficial for various reasons: Competitor Analysis: Understand what successful stores in your niche are doing. Product Research: Discover trending products or underserved niches. Market Research: Identify market gaps or opportunities. Partnerships/Collaborations: Find potential partners for marketing, affiliate programs, or product bundling. Client Acquisition (for service providers): Identify potential clients for Shopify app development, theme customization, marketing services, or consulting. Learning & Inspiration: Study successful store designs, user experiences, and marketing strategies to apply to your own business.
