Ever wonder what types of businesses are crushing it on Shopify Plus? A recent report shows exactly where the 46,484 Shopify Plus stores are spending their time – and the results might surprise you. More importantly, this data can help you make smarter decisions about your own store’s growth.
Source: Data from storeads.app report on Shopify Plus store categories.
Fashion Takes the Crown
Apparel stores dominate the platform with 12,272 stores – that’s more than 1 in 4 Shopify Plus businesses selling clothes, shoes, and accessories. It makes sense when you think about it: fashion brands need robust inventory management and the ability to handle high traffic during sales events.
If You’re in Apparel:
- You’re in the most crowded space, but also the most proven
- Focus on unique positioning – with this many competitors, differentiation is everything
- The high volume suggests strong conversion potential, but you’ll need stellar SEO and marketing to stand out
Beauty and Wellness Are Booming
Beauty & Fitness comes in second with 5,741 stores, followed closely by Home & Garden with 5,376 stores. Health-related businesses round out the top four with 3,944 stores. Together, these lifestyle categories represent more than half of all Shopify Plus stores.
If You’re in Beauty & Fitness or Home & Garden:
- You’re in established, successful categories with room to grow
- These numbers show there’s proven demand and scalability
- Consider subscription models – these categories often have repeat customers
If You’re in Health:
- Strong market presence with potential for recurring purchases
- Focus on trust signals – reviews, certifications, and testimonials are crucial
The Long Tail Story
While the big four categories grab most of the attention, there’s a whole ecosystem of smaller niches thriving on the platform:
Mid-Size Opportunities:
- Food & Drink: 3,642 stores
- Sports: 3,004 stores
- Arts & Entertainment: 2,077 stores
- Gifts & Special Events: 1,760 stores
- People & Society: 1,561 stores
Less Saturated Markets:
- Consumer Electronics: 1,083 stores
- Business & Industrial: 1,043 stores
- Autos & Vehicles: 1,041 stores
These smaller numbers might mean less competition and more opportunity to dominate your niche.
Ultra-Niche Success Stories: Even specialized markets like Books & Literature (294 stores) and Jobs & Education (280 stores) have carved out their space. These prove you don’t need a massive market – focused niches can succeed on Shopify Plus too.
What This Means for Your Store
The data suggests that Shopify Plus works best for businesses selling physical products directly to consumers, especially in lifestyle categories where brand experience matters.
The dominance of apparel and beauty brands shows these industries have found success scaling on the platform, likely due to Shopify Plus’s ability to handle complex product variations, seasonal traffic spikes, and integrated marketing tools.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Store
Benchmark Your Growth:
- If you’re in a dominant category, study what Plus-level stores in your space are doing
- Look at their product pages, checkout flows, and customer experience
Consider Your Upgrade Path:
- Categories with high Plus adoption likely have features that scale well
- Plan your growth knowing what advanced features successful stores in your category use
Market Positioning Strategy:
- In crowded categories: Focus on sub-niches and unique value propositions
- In smaller categories: Consider broader marketing to capture more of the available market
Learn from Category Leaders:
- Study successful stores in categories similar to yours
- Notice their pricing strategies, product bundling, and customer retention tactics
Questions to Guide Your Strategy
- How does my category’s representation align with my growth goals?
- What can I learn from stores that have scaled to Plus level?
- Is there an adjacent category I should consider expanding into?
- What features do successful stores in my space commonly use?
The Bottom Line
The data suggests that while some categories are more competitive, success on Shopify is possible across virtually any product category – it’s about execution, not just market choice.
Understanding where your category fits in the broader ecosystem can help inform your growth strategy, competitive analysis, and feature prioritization as you scale.
