Best Shopify stores for inspiration

Starting an e-commerce business on Shopify is an exciting undertaking, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. Looking at inspirational or motivational examples can help keep those feelings at bay — often, these shops can be a source of useful lessons and goals you can keep in mind as you build your own Shopify business.

Such inspiration comes in many forms, and it’s about more than just profits. Some of Shopify’s most inspirational businesses also focus on their people, the environment, communities in which they operate, and other markers of success beyond the bottom line.

In this article, we’ll look at some successful Shopify stores in a range of industries to learn what they’re doing right, what makes them appealing to customers, how they’re giving back to people and communities, and how you can apply their strategies in your own business.

Inspirational Shopify stores

1. Lunchskins

Lunchskins offers recyclable and reusable lunch bags as a way of eliminating plastic and other disposable materials from lunches. Like many successful businesses, this one was born when its founder experienced a problem for herself — she noticed how much plastic went into assembling her children’s lunches. Deciding to do something about it, she developed and applied a vision for sustainable lunch packaging.

The rest, as they say, is history; the company has grown and has been a success for over a decade. So far, it has replaced over 2.8 billion plastic bags and 2.6 million plastic straws with reusable Lunchskins products.

2. Partake Foods

“The best Shopify store for my inspiration is Partake Foods,” says Jon Lynn, founder of My Office Pod. Partake serves customers who have dietary restrictions in addition to those with ordinary diets. As part of its business model, the company donates a portion of its proceeds to charities that fight food insecurity.

Actively committed to raising awareness of Black and female entrepreneurship, Partake’s founder engages in mentoring and other volunteer activities that foster opportunity and growth for entrepreneurs. The company’s design savvy is equally impressive: “Partake Foods has a light-colored theme that helps consumers stay on the page for a longer period of time,” Lynn says.

3. Taza Chocolate

Taza Chocolate is a business inspired by the taste and texture of Mexican chocolate. Taza works directly with farmers to source its ingredients, which it stone-grinds to give its chocolates a grittier texture than other brands. A pioneer in ethical cocoa sourcing, the company issues annual transparency reports to its consumers and stakeholders.

4. Luca + Danni

According to Jessica Kats, an e-commerce and retail expert at Soxy, the best Shopify store for inspiration is Luca + Danni. “It’s renowned for the best customer service and support tools,” she says. Specializing in handcrafted jewelry, the store is easy to navigate and full of eye-catching, alluring product photography. The business is rooted in a family tradition — the founders’ father was a handcrafted jewelry maker too.

5. Beefcake Swimwear

Beefcake Swimwear is a company that sells sustainable and ethically made androgynous swimsuits, taking inspiration from the fashion of the 1920s. Beefcake pays its workers a living wage, and they cut and sew the suits in small batches in Portland, Oregon. The founder and her wife handle packaging and shipping. Beefcake’s policy of transparency regarding the costs of its products — it shares detailed information about materials and labor practices in its brand communications — has helped forge strong connections with customers.

6. Uppercase Magazine

“Uppercase Magazine is the best Shopify store for all those who are seeking inspiration,” says Alex Williams, CFO at FindThisBest. “It provides a cocktail of informative articles revolving around art, fashion, and design. The store also publishes another magazine that caters to a younger audience, which shows what a diverse pool of customers this store has.” Sustainability is important to this business — since 2018, Uppercase has planted a tree for every subscription and renewal it receives.

7. GiveMeTap

GiveMeTap is a successful business in more ways than one. The company’s founder originally started it as a way to showcase establishments that offered free water refills to reduce waste from plastic water bottles. Today it sells reusable water bottles — and for each bottle sold, the company provides clean drinking water to a person in Ghana for five years. Since its inception, GiveMeTap has provided clean drinking water to more than 51,000 people and funded over 65 water pumps.

8. BLK & Bold

“One of my favorite Shopify stores from which I’ve drawn inspiration is BLK & Bold,” says Aviad Faruz, chief executive officer at Faruzo. “This is a small business that sells caffeinated beverages. Their online store has creatively used bold colors pertaining to their theme and white spaces to create a very engaging look.”

The company is a Certified B Corp (a distinction conferred by B Lab, a nonprofit advocacy organization), meaning that it prioritizes the balancing of profit and purpose. BLK & Bold donates five percent of its profits to organizations that serve youth in need.

9. Cheekbone Beauty

Cheekbone Beauty is a Canadian Indigenous-owned business that creates cruelty-free and vegan beauty products. Beginning with biodegradable paper packaging, Cheekbone’s products are designed to produce low environmental impact while offering optimal wearability. The company is committed to giving back to its founder’s indigenous roots, and it donates money, products, and projects to a range of related causes. To date, it has given over $150,000 in donations.

Feeling inspired by these Shopify stores? So are we! There are loads of other Shopify businesses out there excelling in their own ways. Be sure to let us know which ones inspire you in the comments.

Photo by MART PRODUCTION