Introduction, History, and Growth of Shopify
– Shopify Inc. is a Canadian multinational e-commerce company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario.
– Shopify is the name of its proprietary e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems.
– The Shopify platform offers online retailers a suite of services, including payments, marketing, shipping, and customer engagement tools.
– As of December 2022, Shopify had more than 2 million businesses in approximately 175 countries using its platform.
– According to BuiltWith, 1.58 million websites run on the Shopify platform as of 2021.
– Shopify was founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke and Scott Lake.
– The founders initially built their own e-commerce platform, Snowdevil, using the Ruby on Rails web application framework.
– In June 2006, Snowdevil was rebranded as Shopify.
– Shopify created an open-source template language called Liquid, used since 2006.
– In June 2009, Shopify launched an API platform and App Store for developers to create applications for Shopify online stores.
– In 2010, Shopify launched a free mobile app for store owners to manage their stores from iOS devices.
– Shopify started the Build-A-Business competition in 2010, offering cash prizes and mentorship to participants.
– By 2014, Shopify had hosted approximately 120,000 online retailers.
– Shopify went public on May 21, 2015, raising over $131 million in its IPO.
– In September 2015, Amazon selected Shopify as the preferred migration provider for its closing Amazon Webstore service.
Acquisitions, Partnerships, and Innovations of Shopify
– In February 2012, Shopify acquired mobile software developer Select Start Studios Inc (S3).
– In August 2013, Shopify acquired design studio Jet Cooper.
– In November 2016, Shopify partnered with Paystack to enable Nigerian online retailers to accept international payments.
– In January 2017, Shopify announced integration with Amazon for merchants to sell on Amazon from their Shopify stores.
– In December 2016, Shopify acquired mobile product development studio Tiny Hearts.
– Shopify introduced Shopify Capital in April 2016, providing cash advances to merchants.
– In April 2017, Shopify launched Shopify Pay, a one-click checkout feature for Shopify Payments users.
– Shopify released Bluetooth-enabled card readers and a point-of-sale system for brick-and-mortar retailers.
– In November 2017, Shopify launched Arrive, a mobile app to track packages from Shopify merchants.
– In January 2019, Shopify announced the launch of Shopify Studios, a television and film content production house.
– Shopify ended an integration agreement with Mailchimp due to disputes over customer privacy and data collection.
– Shopify integrated with Snapchat, Facebook, and Google for advertising partnerships.
– Shopify acquired Handshake, a B2B e-commerce platform for wholesale goods.
– Shopify launched its Fulfilment Network to compete with Amazon FBA in handling shipping logistics.
– Shopify launched Shopify Chat, a native chat function for real-time conversations with customers.
Shopify’s Expansion and Technology
– Shopify announced plans to join the Diem Association (formerly Libra Association).
– Shopify shifted its entire workforce to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Shopify rebranded Shopify Pay as Shop Pay and Arrive as Shop, combining customer-facing features.
– Shopify announced a partnership with Alipay for cross-border payments.
– Shopify partnered with JD.com to let US merchants expand their operations in China.
– Shopify was initially built on Ruby on Rails and later introduced sharding for multiple databases.
– Shopify’s client side mainly uses JavaScript execution.
– Independent developers can develop themes and apps on Shopify.
– Shopify made a strategic investment in Klaviyo, an e-commerce marketing automation platform.
– Shopify laid off approximately 20% of its workforce and sold Shopify Logistics to Flexport.
Shopify’s Involvement in Esports and Last-Mile Logistics
– Shopify formed an esports organization called Shopify Rebellion.
– Shopify Rebellion assembled a professional StarCraft II team for international tournaments.
– The team included former world champion ByuN and Scarlett.
– Shopify Rebellion purchased Team SoloMid’s spot in the LCS, the main North American League of Legends esports competition.
– Shopify made its first entry in last-mile logistics by investing in Swyft, a digital logistics startup.
– Shopify acquired Deliverr, an e-commerce fulfillment startup, for $2.1 billion in cash and stock.
– Shopify wound down its logistics business, selling Deliverr and 6 River Systems to Flexport and Ocado Group.
– As part of the Flexport deal, Shopify received a 13% stake in the company.
Criticisms, Lawsuits, and Data Breach
– Citron Research reports did not lead to an investigation into Shopify by the FTC.
– Left-leaning media watchdog Media Matters criticized Shopify for hosting the online store of far-right, anti-LGBT influencer Libs of TikTok.
– Shopify spokesperson stated that Libs of TikTok was not in violation of the company’s Acceptable Use Policy.
– Ottawa City Council member Ariel Trosters criticized Shopify in light of a recent shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub.
– Nandini Jammi of Check My Ads criticized Shopify on Twitter.
– A group of publishers sued Shopify for failing to remove listings and stores selling pirated copies of their books and learning materials.
– The lawsuit was settled amicably out of court.
– A class-action lawsuit for $130 million was filed by laid-off employees.
– Shopify announced a fight against patent trolls and filed a lawsuit.
– Shopify confirmed a data breach in September 2020, with stolen data including names, addresses, and order details. References:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopify
