If you're like most business owners, you want to diversify your income and find new ways to grow your business.
And if you're using Shopify to run your online store, then you may think about expanding by opening multiple stores.
But is that really the best move for you? And if it is, how can you ensure that everything runs smoothly?
In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to make the most out of your multi-store strategy, explore its pros and cons, and more.
Let’s get started!
Tip: Have you already created your Shopify account? If not, sign up by clicking this link here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months!
Can you have more than one Shopify store?
Let's start with the basics.
Can you have more than one Shopify store?
The simple answer is yes. You can have more than one Shopify store.
In fact, many businesses operate multiple stores to sell to different audiences or offer a greater variety of products.
Shopify doesn't have a policy that prevents you from opening more than one Shopify store.
However, if you're interested in running multiple Shopify stores, you must understand Shopify's pricing plans.
For example, you may be wrong if you think you can open multiple Shopify stores on a single Shopify subscription plan!
Let's dive into this some more in the next section:
How do you open an additional Shopify store?
If you're looking to open an additional Shopify store, you must know something about Shopify's pricing plans first.
Shopify offers three main pricing plans, the Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plan:
The majority of Shopify store owners are subscribed to one of the above plans, but some subscribe to one of Shopify's 'alternative' plans, the Lite or Shopify Plus plan:
And here's something that's crucial to know:
You must sign up for a new Shopify pricing plan for each additional Shopify store you open (unless you're using Shopify Plus).
For example, if you currently run a Shopify store on the Basic plan and want to open an additional store, you must sign up for a new pricing plan and account specifically for your new store.
Again, this doesn't apply if you're using Shopify Plus. In that case, your plan includes ten Shopify stores, and you can create additional stores for $250 per month per store. It also allows you to manage all your stores from one location in your Shopify admin.
Of course, this can't be the only reason to upgrade to Shopify Plus. Running ten Shopify stores on the Basic plan ($290 per month) is still significantly cheaper than a Shopify Plus subscription ($2,000+ per month)!
Note: If you want to create a duplicate store in a different currency or language or connect other domains to your main Shopify store domain, you don't have to open an additional Shopify store. Continue reading to learn more about this!
Opening an additional Shopify store in 6 steps
The best way to open an additional Shopify store is to sign up for Shopify's free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months.
Simply type your email address, and Shopify will guide you through the setup process. (You can use the same email address you already use on your existing store.)
The first step is to enter the name of your new store.
In the next step, you can select 'I'm already selling online or in person.'
Next, select 'No, I'd like to start fresh.' In other words, you're creating an additional Shopify store!
In the following step, you can leave the 'An online store' option selected:
Almost there! Select any of the product types that apply to you:
When choosing your account, you can select your existing Shopify account. (Or you can create a new account if that's what you prefer!)
There you go; you just created an additional Shopify store!
As you can see in the bottom-right corner, this method allows you to use Shopify for free during their trial.
If you want more information about starting your Shopify store, including tips on finding the right supplier and Shopify apps, check out our article here!
Note: When opening an additional Shopify store, you must also pay for any paid theme or apps it uses, even if your existing Shopify store already uses that theme or those apps.
Duplicating your Shopify store in another currency or language
Opening an additional Shopify store isn't required if you want to sell your current products in another currency or language.
In fact, Shopify developed a fantastic solution for this use case, Shopify Markets:
You can access Shopify Markets through the Shopify Admin. Just go to Settings -> Markets, and you will find all the options:
Using Shopify Markets, you can sell in multiple languages and currencies from one Shopify store. Shopify does this by adding extensions like '.com/en-ca' and '.com/es-es' to your store domain.
But there's more! Per market, you can:
- Calculate duties and taxes specific to the country you're selling to.
- Comply with any local regulations with market-specific content.
- Use specific shipping methods.
- Sell market-specific products.
- And much more!
Adding additional domains to your Shopify store
At last, one small thing might confuse you with opening an additional Shopify store.
You don't need an additional Shopify subscription if you only want to link other domains to your main Shopify store domain.
You can add up to 20 domains to your Shopify store through the Shopify Admin at Settings -> Domains -> Connect existing domain:
4 Tips for efficiently managing multiple Shopify stores
Anyone who has ever managed more than one Shopify store knows that keeping track of everything can be challenging.
From managing inventory to processing orders, there is a lot to handle.
Here are some of our top tips that can make managing multiple Shopify stores a little bit easier!
1. Create a master plan
The first step to managing multiple Shopify stores is to create a master plan.
This plan should include your overall goals for each store and a timeline for when you hope to achieve these goals. You should also think about how you will manage day-to-day operations, such as order fulfillment and customer service.
Having a plan for managing your Shopify stores will save you stress down the line, as you won't have to think about everything at once.
If you can figure out most things at the start, you will already have them out of the way!
2. Use Shopify automation apps
Automation apps can be a huge time saver if you manage multiple Shopify stores.
They can automate order fulfillment, product listings, and marketing tasks.
Here's a list of our favorite Shopify automation apps:
- AfterShip (Order tracking).
- DSers (Order fulfillment).
- Cartloop (SMS marketing).
- Omnisend (Email marketing).
- Loox (Product reviews).
- Trackipal (Sync PayPal tracking).
3. Prioritize your time and outsource tasks
When managing multiple Shopify stores, it is vital to prioritize your time wisely.
This means focusing on the most important tasks first and delegating or outsourcing the less essential tasks.
For example, you could start by outsourcing your customer servicing and hiring a virtual assistant for it through a platform like Fiverr:
4. Use a multi-channel integration app
Shopify Plus members have access to a Shopify organization admin where they can see the performance and manage their stores in a single overview.
However, most Shopify store owners don't use Shopify Plus, which makes managing multiple Shopify stores more challenging.
Luckily, there is a solution to this!
You can choose from various multi-channel integration apps that simplify managing multiple Shopify stores.
We will discuss some of our favorite tools and apps below:
4 Best Shopify apps for managing multiple Shopify stores
One of the benefits of using Shopify is that it offers a wide range of apps that can help businesses streamline their operations.
You should use this to your advantage, particularly if you operate multiple Shopify stores! Here are a few apps that are most helpful:
1. Syncio
Syncio is an app designed to connect and sync all your Shopify stores.
The main things you should use Syncio for include that it can sync your inventory, product settings, and orders across all your stores:
For example, you can even forward orders from one Shopify store to another, which allows you to fulfill all your orders from a single dashboard!
Syncio starts at $19 per month if you want to import up to 100 products. And its pricing plans go up to $69 per month for up to 3,000 product imports, dedicated servers, and dedicated customer support:
Don't forget that you can try Syncio for free using the 14-day trial!
2. Reamaze
Reamaze is an app used for your store's customer helpdesk.
It provides a number of features that make it easy to stay connected with your customers, including a live chat, automated messages, and a CRM system.
The best part is that you can use Reamaze to manage the customer service of your Shopify stores in one place:
You can try Reamaze for free using the 14-day free trial, after which you will have to pay at least $49 per month to access the 'Multi Store' feature:
3. BeProfit
If you’re looking for an app to help track your profit, look no further than BeProfit.
With BeProfit, you can monitor your sales, costs, and profits in real-time to make quick and informed decisions about your businesses.
Once more, this app has a feature that allows you to import data from multiple Shopify stores:
One downside is that you need the most expensive pricing plan BeProfit offers to get access to the multishop dashboard:
However, you can try it out for free for seven days using the trial to see if it's worth it for you!
4. Juni
Before we start, yes, Juni (juni.co) isn't a Shopify app (yet), but it's still a great and more cost-friendly alternative to BeProfit!
It's a product you simply must know about if you are worried about how you will manage all your different payment gateways and stores!
Juni is a fintech solution made for digital entrepreneurs operating in the UK, Europe, and Norway.
With Juni, you can connect your ad networks (Google Ads, FB Ads, etc.), payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, etc.), and bank accounts in one place.
The benefit?
You will be able to track the ROI across all your business's activities and improve cash flows!
If you’re running multiple Shopify stores, Juni makes creating this financial overview effortless with its Shopify integration.
Simply follow the steps below to activate it:
One of Juni's most significant perks is that you can get up to 1% cash back on all eligible card spending. This may not seem much, but when scaling your business, it can really add up!
Other benefits include:
- Virtual cards. With Juni, you can generate as many virtual cards as you need in GBP, USD, and EUR.
- Get savings relevant to your business. For example, as Juni's customer, you can get a 20% discount on the Loox Shopify app or a 15% discount on the BeProfit Shopify app.
So, what does all of this cost?
Turns out not much!
Juni tried to eliminate as many fees as possible, as you can see on their pricing page.
As a result, you can sign up, get insights, create IBAN accounts, and generate all the virtual Juni cards you need for free!
The only thing that isn't free on Juni's pricing page is the account transfer FX fees, which can cost up to 0.25% of the transferred amount.
If all of this sounds interesting to you, you can find more info about Juni on their website here!
Should you manage multiple Shopify stores?
When it comes to Shopify, there are a lot of different opinions on whether or not it’s a good idea to run multiple stores.
Some people think that managing more than one store can be overwhelming and complicated. Others see it as an opportunity to make even more money.
So, what’s the truth? Should you manage multiple Shopify stores?
In our opinion, you should manage multiple Shopify stores if you have the time or know how to automate or outsource as many tasks as possible. Managing multiple Shopify stores can help you diversify your product portfolio and create multiple income streams.
To help you make this decision, here are the pros and cons of having multiple Shopify stores:
Pros of having multiple Shopify stores
- Diversify your product portfolio and test more niches. If you're currently running a store in the pet niche and want to test the hiking niche as well, you can!
- Create multiple income streams. With various Shopify stores, you don't have to rely on a single store that generates 100% of your income. It's better not to put all your eggs in one basket.
- It helps you avoid getting stuck with a single product. Sometimes, it's hard to accept that a product you sell simply isn't working. Multiple Shopify stores will lower the barrier to testing other products!
Cons of having multiple Shopify stores
- It's easier to lose focus. Focusing all your efforts on a single store will always be easier than dividing it between multiple stores, right?
- There are more issues to deal with. For each store you open, there are many mistakes you can make or things that can go wrong.
- Higher costs. Each additional Shopify store you open will need its own apps, domain, and theme. These things can add up quickly!
FAQs about managing multiple Shopify stores
Do you have any questions left about managing multiple Shopify stores? If so, take a look below to see if they're answered:
Can you make multiple Shopify stores on one account?
No, you can't create multiple Shopify stores on one account. You must sign up for a new Shopify subscription to create an additional Shopify store.
How do I set up two Shopify stores?
You can set up two Shopify stores by signing up for one of Shopify's pricing plans for each of the two stores. It isn't possible to create multiple Shopify stores on a single Shopify subscription unless you use Shopify Plus.
How much does it cost to have two Shopify stores?
You can expect two Shopify stores to cost around twice as much as a single Shopify store, and maybe even more. This is because, for each additional store, you need a new Shopify subscription, a (paid) theme, (paid) apps, and a domain.
Can I use the same email for multiple Shopify stores?
Yes, you can use the same email for multiple Shopify stores. In fact, we recommend doing this because it makes managing your stores a lot easier!
Summary
Before we go to the final verdict, we've created a quick summary of this article for you, so you can easily remember it:
- It is possible to create additional Shopify stores, but you must sign up for one of Shopify's pricing plans for each store you make.
- The best way to start an additional Shopify store is to sign up for Shopify's free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months.
- If you want to duplicate your Shopify store in another language or currency, you can use Shopify Markets.
- When managing multiple Shopify stores, try to create a plan beforehand, use as many automation apps as possible, and don't be afraid to outsource less important tasks.
- Our top four best Shopify apps for managing multiple stores are Syncio, Reamaze, BeProfit, and Juni.
Conclusion
Managing multiple Shopify stores can be a lot of work. There's a lot of juggling involved in keeping track of inventory, orders, shipping, and customer service.
However, with the right approach, it's a great way to reach a wider audience, tap into new markets, or test different pricing strategies.
Hopefully, you've found the answer you were looking for in this article. We wish you good luck with your Shopify store!
And if you're wondering now if you can run multiple dropshipping stores, check out our other article here.
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