Shopify Isn't Just for Small Stores

There's a perception that Shopify is a starter platform. Something you use to launch a store, validate an idea, and then graduate to a "real" enterprise solution once the business gets serious. We've heard this from merchants considering a move to Shopify, and we've heard it from merchants already on the platform wondering if they should leave.

That hasn't been true for years. Some of the biggest consumer brands in the world run on Shopify, and they're not on it because they haven't gotten around to upgrading. They're on it because they tried the alternatives and chose Shopify anyway.

We've been building on Shopify since 2014. We've watched the platform evolve from a straightforward store builder into something that powers brands doing hundreds of millions in annual revenue. Here's who's actually on it.

Gymshark

Gymshark is probably the most-cited example, and for good reason. The fitness apparel brand was on Magento and their site crashed during Black Friday, costing them an estimated $100,000+ in lost sales during the most important sales window of the year. They moved to Shopify Plus and never looked back. Gymshark now does over $500 million in annual revenue and handles massive traffic spikes during product drops without the infrastructure anxiety that defined their Magento years.

The point isn't that Magento was bad for them. It's that Shopify's managed infrastructure means you don't have to think about whether your site can handle the traffic. That's Shopify's problem, not yours.

Kylie Cosmetics

In 2016, Kylie Cosmetics handled over 200,000 simultaneous visitors during a single product launch. That's the kind of traffic spike that takes down self-hosted platforms, and it happened on Shopify without a hiccup. The brand has since built its entire DTC operation around Shopify Plus, using limited-edition drops, countdown timers, and back-in-stock notifications as core revenue drivers.

If Shopify can handle 200,000 people hitting buy at the same time, your holiday sale is going to be fine.

Allbirds

Allbirds runs both their online store and their physical retail locations through Shopify. One platform for ecommerce and POS, one source of truth for inventory, one set of customer data. Their head of global retail operations has publicly credited Shopify Plus for enabling their omnichannel strategy. The brand does over $180 million in annual revenue and built their entire sustainability storytelling (carbon footprint labels on every product, material sourcing details) directly into their Shopify storefront.

For merchants wondering whether Shopify can handle a sophisticated brand experience, Allbirds is proof that it can.

Steve Madden

Steve Madden has over 200 retail stores worldwide and runs their DTC operation on Shopify Plus. In 2025, they revamped their global ecommerce ecosystem on the platform and saw a 16% increase in conversion rates. Their setup includes real-time inventory sync between online and retail, in-store pickup, and a unified loyalty program across channels.

This is a brand with nearly $2 billion in annual revenue choosing Shopify over Oracle, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and every other enterprise option available to them.

Cole Haan

Cole Haan, the nearly 100-year-old footwear and lifestyle brand, recently migrated from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify. That's not a startup picking its first platform. That's an established global brand with stores in over 100 countries evaluating the enterprise options and deciding that Shopify is where they want to be. When a brand at that level leaves Salesforce for Shopify, it tells you something about how the competitive landscape between these platforms has shifted.

Spanx, Heinz, Red Bull, Mattel, Penguin Books

The list keeps going and it crosses industries. Spanx runs their DTC store on Shopify. Kraft Heinz built a direct-to-consumer site on Shopify Plus in a single week during the pandemic. Red Bull, Mattel, and Penguin Books all use Shopify for their online stores. Fashion Nova, SKIMS, Rebecca Minkoff, Brooklinen. These aren't niche brands testing the waters. These are major companies with complex operations that chose Shopify as their commerce platform.

Why this matters for your store

The reason to care about who else is on Shopify isn't the names themselves. It's what their presence does to the platform you're on.

When Gymshark, Steve Madden, and Cole Haan are on Shopify, the platform has to build for their scale. The infrastructure that handles 200,000 concurrent visitors for a Kylie Cosmetics drop is the same infrastructure your store runs on. The checkout that processes millions in transactions for Steve Madden is the same checkout your customers use. The B2B features that enterprise brands demanded are now rolling out to all plans.

Every feature that gets built for the biggest merchants eventually filters down. Shopify Plus drove the development of advanced checkout customization, multi-currency support, B2B catalogs, and wholesale pricing. Those features are now available or becoming available on standard plans. The enterprise brands push the platform forward, and every merchant benefits.

So if you're on Shopify and wondering whether you'll eventually outgrow it, look at who else is on the platform. They had the same question, the same options, and the same budget to go anywhere. They chose Shopify.

And if you're considering moving to Shopify from another platform, the fact that brands at this scale are making the same move should tell you something about where ecommerce infrastructure is heading.

We've been helping merchants migrate to Shopify since 2014. If you're thinking about making the switch, we can help.

Resources

• Shopify Plus customer stories — case studies from Gymshark, Allbirds, Steve Madden, Kylie Cosmetics, and others
• Shopify B2B now available on all plans — enterprise features filtering down to every merchant
  
• Switching to Shopify? What to Actually Expect from the Migration — our guide on what to prepare for if you're planning a move