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What is Shopify Markets?
For e-commerce brands that want to grow internationally, Shopify Markets offers the solution for Shopify cross-border sales. Shopify Markets is an integrated solution within Shopify that makes it possible to sell worldwide from one central online store. You can quickly scale internationally or experiment in new markets before investing further.
Every market is different, so customization is required for a good customer experience. With Shopify Markets, you can make adjustments per market: the product range, product prices and domain are just a few examples. Combined with features such as Shopify multi-language and Shopify multi-currency, you can easily create a localized customer experience per market.
In addition to easy international expansion, Shopify Markets can also mean cost savings: apps and integrations only need to be set up for one store. You do have to take into account the different markets within the store. This cost-saving reduces your total cost of ownership (TCO) - we can calculate the effect on the TCO for you.
Shopify has invested heavily in Shopify Markets over the past few years, and new features are announced in each release of Shopify Editions. As a result, this setup is often better than the traditional multi-store approach we previously advised merchants to take. At Code, we see more and more merchants move to Shopify Markets in 2024. Today, 70-80% of the stores Code delivers run on Shopify Markets.
Key features of Shopify Markets
1. Localized content (Shopify multi-language)
Bring your customers a seamless shopping experience by translating your store into their native language. With Shopify multi-language, you can easily add and manage multiple languages within your store. Use apps like Shopify Translate & Adapt to translate your content and adapt it to cultural nuances. This increases trust with international customers and can significantly improve your conversion rates.
2. Local currency (Shopify multi-currency)
Ensure your customers have the option to pay in their native currency with support for over 130 currencies. Shopify Markets automatically updates exchange rates so prices are always accurate and consistent. Research shows that offering local currencies can reduce cart abandonment by up to 33%, directly increasing conversions and customer satisfaction.
3. Custom prices per region
Optimize your international pricing strategy by setting specific prices or percentage adjustments per product and region. You can choose to include or exclude regional taxes in your prices, depending on local laws and market practices. This gives you the flexibility to maintain your margin and stay competitive in different markets.
4. Localized domains and improved SEO
Shopify Markets enables you to automatically redirect visitors to their local domain based on their geographic location, such as yourshop.nl for the Netherlands or yourshop.de for Germany. You can improve your visibility in international search engines by using local domains and automatically generated hreflang tags. This helps you rank higher and build trust with local consumers.
You can choose from three domain structures:
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yourshop.com and yourshop.nl
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yourshop.com and nl.yourshop.com
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yourshop.com/nl
5. Localized checkout with local payment methods
Increase usability and conversion by automatically offering local payment methods during checkout, such as iDEAL in the Netherlands or Klarna in Germany. Customers get full transparency on estimated taxes and import duties during the checkout process, preventing unexpected costs upon delivery and contributing to a positive shopping experience.
6. Customizable fulfillment and shipping
Optimize your shipping by offering customized shipping options by region. This gives customers a clear view of delivery times and shipping costs, increasing trust and the likelihood of a successful order. With local fulfillment options, you can reduce shipping times and streamline inventory management, leading to more efficient operations and satisfied customers.
Advantages of Shopify Markets
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Central content management
Manage all your content from a single dashboard. No more hassle with multiple separate stores for each market. This ensures consistency in your brand experience and reduces the chance of errors. With Shopify Markets, you can efficiently roll out your international strategy. -
Easy scalability
Easily add new countries, set local currencies and languages, and manage domains and subdomains. This allows you to quickly respond to international opportunities without complex setups. This makes Shopify cross-border sales a lot easier. -
Cost savings
With integrated Shopify multi-language and Shopify multi-currency functions, you need fewer external apps. This leads to lower costs and less complexity in managing your webshop. -
Improved customer experience
Customers can shop in their own language and pay using their familiar payment methods. This increases trust and can significantly improve your conversion rates.
Pitfalls of Shopify Markets
While Shopify Markets has many advantages, it’s not the best choice in all situations. Here are a few scenarios that require extra attention:
Limitations through ERP or PIM systems
Integrating your ERP or PIM system with a Shopify multi-language environment can be complex. Early planning and specialist knowledge are essential to complete this successfully.
Most ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and PIM (Product Information Management) systems typically support Shopify multi-language and Shopify multi-currency. However, the connection to Shopify often does not (yet) support this. The APIs that Shopify offers in this area are relatively new and have not yet been embraced by many systems. This can lead to additional costs for system upgrades or the development of custom connections.
Complex company structures
Are you dealing with different legal entities that each serve their own market and are not allowed to have insight into each other's data? For example, franchises or licenses in other countries? In that case, Shopify Markets can impose restrictions because the platform is based on a single central management environment.
Need for fully separated shops
If you have different teams in each market that need to work in a completely separate back-office environment, a multi-store setup offers more flexibility. You can set permissions per Shopify user, but you can only achieve complete data separation with a multi-store setup.
If you want to use completely different apps and integrations per store, you’re better off with a multi-store setup. You can use a different setup per store—for example, for fulfillment, ERP, or loyalty—without impacting the other stores.
Shopify Markets-discovery and migration
Migrating to Shopify Markets is a strategic move that requires careful planning. It’s not just a technical transition, but it also impacts your business processes, marketing, and customer interactions.
Why partner with a Shopify Plus agency like Code?
The migration process involves many facets, such as data migration, Shopify multi-language, integrations, and international regulatory compliance. An experienced agency like Code can guide you through every step—from planning to implementation—to ensure a smooth transition and that you get the most out of all the functions.
The discovery process at Code
At Code, we start a migration to Shopify Markets with a discovery process that takes approximately three weeks, divided into three focus areas:
1. Integrations
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Analysis of your current systems: We assess your ERP, PIM, and other connections to determine how they can be integrated with Shopify Markets.
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Identify constraints: We identify potential obstacles and work out solutions for a seamless integration.
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Plan of changes: We determine what system changes or upgrades are needed to ensure compatibility.
2. Apps
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Evaluation of used apps: We create an overview of all the apps you currently use and how they perform in a Shopify multi-language, Shopify multi-currency, and multi-regional environment.
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Tweaks and optimizations: We identify apps that may need to be replaced or require additional configuration, such as Yotpo, Gorgias, and Channable.
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Klaviyo and Shopify Markets
The migration requires extra attention if you’re using Klaviyo for email marketing. Setting up Shopify multi-language email flows and templates has been largely manual till now (November 2024). We can help you make this process as efficient as possible so your customer communications are consistent and effective across all markets.
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3. Data and URL migration
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Data analysis: After the discovery phase comes the implementation, which can take several weeks, depending on the complexity. We take care of all data that needs to be migrated, such as products, customers, and order history.
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Shopify multi-language setup: We plan how your content will be translated and adapted for different markets using tools such as Shopify Translate & Adapt.
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SEO integration: Together, we determine what is needed to maintain or improve your findability in international search engines.
With all the insights and data from the discovery, we help you make a well-considered decision by calculating your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Implementation
After the discovery phase comes the implementation, which can take several weeks, depending on the complexity. We take care of:
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Technical configuration: Setting up Shopify Markets according to best practices.
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Any front-end or back-end changes: Adjustments needed to ensure optimal operation.
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Adjustments to your Klaviyo (or other ESP) setup: so that your email marketing continues to work seamlessly.
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Training and support: Guiding your team through new features and processes.
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Monitoring and optimalisation: After going live, we stay involved to monitor performance and make optimizations.
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Conclusion: Shopify Markets helps accelerate international growth and more efficient management
Shopify Markets offers powerful features to take your international e-commerce to the next level. With features like centralized content management, local payment methods, and advanced logistics options, you can give your international customers a localized experience. You can quickly roll out to new international markets while lowering your total cost of ownership (TCO). With Shopify cross-border sales through Shopify Markets, expanding internationally has never been easier.
A successful migration requires a solid approach and expertise. By working with a specialized agency like Code, you can ensure you take advantage of all the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls. We’ll guide you through the entire process—from initial planning to go-live and optimization.
Interested in Shopify Markets?
Are you ready to make your international ambitions a reality and want to know how Shopify Markets can help?
Get in touch and schedule a Shopify Markets discovery with one of our Shopify consultants or your dedicated Customer Success Manager.
We hope this blog post has given you a clear insight into what Shopify Markets can do for your business. If you have any questions or would like more information, we are always here to help!
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