Shopify’s reputation as a go-to ecommerce platform isn’t just a trend. It’s earned. What started as a solution for small online shops has scaled up to host some of the biggest names in fashion, tech, wellness, and food. The reason? Shopify makes it incredibly easy to control your brand, own your customer relationships, and roll out updates or new products without needing a room full of developers (although, serious stores will want a professional Shopify design agency).
The appeal is more than simplicity. It’s power. Enterprise brands are using Shopify because it gives them speed, flexibility, and a clean UX that converts (more on Shopify CRO here). Whether they’re processing millions of dollars in flash sales or testing new digital storefronts without committing to massive infrastructure changes, Shopify proves itself over and over again.
If you’re running an ecommerce business or thinking about launching one, there’s a lot to learn from the giants already winning on this platform. This isn’t a list of random success stories. It’s a breakdown of what each brand does well and how you can apply their playbook to your own business. Let’s get into it.
Gymshark: Building Community Around a Product
Gymshark didn’t just sell gym clothes. They sold a lifestyle. What started in a UK garage is now a billion-dollar fitness brand, and they’ve done it with a relentless focus on community. Their Shopify store is mobile-first, lightning fast, and dripping with influencer content.
What makes Gymshark dangerous in the market is their ability to foster loyalty. They speak their customers’ language, run exclusive drops, and make fans feel like insiders. If you’re trying to grow your own ecommerce brand, remember that community isn’t a feature. It’s your strategy.
Kylie Cosmetics: Owning the Audience
Kylie Jenner didn’t just rely on celebrity. She used Shopify to scale her cosmetics empire directly to her fans. The Shopify Plus setup supported massive traffic spikes during product drops without crashing the site or compromising the checkout experience.
More importantly, Kylie Cosmetics controls its audience. No middlemen. No retail chains. Just a DTC model that thrives on speed, urgency, and simplicity. Want to future-proof your business? Build direct relationships with your customers before someone else does.
Allbirds: Purpose-Driven Product Design
Allbirds runs on mission-driven branding. They built a Shopify store that reflects their sustainable roots—simple, natural, clean. From the homepage down to the checkout flow, everything aligns with their eco-focused story.
This isn’t just about feeling good. It’s smart business. When your brand identity shows up in every pixel of your site, it sticks. That kind of authenticity builds trust, which turns browsers into loyal buyers. Don’t underestimate how far consistency can take you.
Fashion Nova: Fast Fashion, Faster Checkout
Fashion Nova knows speed wins. From frequent product drops to a mobile-optimized Shopify store that loads in seconds, they’ve mastered fast fashion in a digital world. Their site is always changing, always updating, and always selling.
What’s more, Fashion Nova is a CRO machine. They test everything, move fast, and never let friction get in the way of a sale. If your site’s loading is slow or your checkout is clunky, you’re leaving money on the table. Period.
Heinz: Legacy Brand Meets Ecommerce
Heinz proved that even century-old giants can get scrappy. During the pandemic, they launched a DTC Shopify store to get essentials like beans and ketchup directly to consumers. No retail shelf. No distribution delays. Just fast, focused ecommerce.
The lesson here? Legacy brands can pivot fast when the tech doesn’t get in the way. Shopify helped Heinz bypass red tape and move like a startup. If you think your business is too old to adapt, think again.
Red Bull Shop: High-Energy UX Design
Red Bull isn’t just an energy drink. It’s a content empire, and their merch store on Shopify follows the same aesthetic. Bold visuals, sharp UX, and a seamless shopping experience keep fans buying into the lifestyle.
Even though Red Bull’s core product isn’t ecommerce, they’ve built a Shopify store that extends their brand. That’s smart. Every brand, no matter the vertical, should think about how to turn attention into revenue through good design and smart strategy.
Rebecca Minkoff: Omnichannel Mastery
Rebecca Minkoff’s Shopify store proves that fashion can blend digital and physical retail without losing its cool. She connects online and in-store experiences using appointment booking, personalized quizzes, and a consistent design language.
It’s not about selling everywhere—it’s about selling smarter. Shopify gives her the tools to serve customers no matter how they shop. Whether you run a boutique or a national chain, you can use omnichannel tools to compete like the big brands.
Steve Madden: High-Volume With High Style
Steve Madden’s ecommerce operation is intense. Thousands of SKUs, frequent product launches, and flash sales all run smoothly on Shopify. What keeps it all together is a user-friendly front end paired with back-end automation that supports scale.
They also focus hard on conversion. Every product page is tailored to move shoppers down the funnel. For smaller brands, this is a playbook worth copying. Use Shopify to streamline your ops and let your design do the selling.
Staples Canada: Going DTC for Specific Products
Staples Canada doesn’t rely only on one massive ecommerce hub. Instead, they use Shopify to spin up specific storefronts for targeted DTC experiments. That kind of flexibility gives them the edge in testing what works—fast.
You don’t have to put your entire catalog on Shopify to benefit. Use it to test new product lines, run limited drops, or focus on niche markets. It’s the ecommerce Swiss Army knife, and it’s built to move fast.
Jones Soda: Niche Product, Big Personality
Jones Soda has always had character, and their Shopify store makes sure that personality shines. Fans can upload their own label photos, order custom packs, and buy limited editions with just a few clicks.
The secret sauce? Customization. Shopify’s flexible features let Jones offer unique experiences at scale. If you’re in a niche market, that kind of control is your advantage. Make your customers feel like co-creators instead of just buyers.
Bulletproof: Subscription-First Ecommerce
Bulletproof has built a serious business around daily habits. Their Shopify store leans heavily into subscriptions, with tools that let users pause, skip, or tweak their orders without any drama.
Recurring revenue is a goldmine if you get it right. Bulletproof shows that predictable income comes from offering flexibility and making reorders painless. Want to boost your LTV? Look into subscriptions that fit your customer’s life.
Skims: Product Drops That Break the Internet
Skims mastered the art of the product drop. Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand uses Shopify to power limited releases that consistently sell out in minutes. Their site is sleek, mobile-optimized, and always primed for action.
Scarcity drives urgency. Add in early access, email exclusives, and clean design, and you’ve got a funnel built for speed. You don’t need celebrity clout to pull this off—just strategy, timing, and a site that can handle the traffic.
MVMT Watches: Scaled Fast, Stayed Lean
MVMT scaled to over $100M using Shopify, smart ad spend, and a laser focus on clean UX. Their strategy was simple: focus on direct sales, optimize relentlessly, and use tools that don’t bloat the backend.
MVMT didn’t have a giant team or endless budget. They just executed well. That’s the real story behind most Shopify success stories. If you’re lean and strategic, you can punch above your weight.
Penguin Books: Selling Stories Online
Penguin Books runs Shopify stores for limited edition collections and author-specific merch. It’s not just about selling books—it’s about building ecommerce experiences around storytelling.
They use custom landing pages, themed launches, and email campaigns tied to new releases. That kind of segmentation and targeting is made easy with Shopify’s toolkit. If you have content to sell, this model is worth a closer look.
ColourPop: Customization at Scale
ColourPop built its empire on customization and product variety. Their Shopify Plus setup handles thousands of SKUs, bundle builders, and personalized shades without breaking a sweat.
Here’s what matters: customers feel in control. From choosing colors to building bundles, ColourPop lets users craft their experience. And it pays off with higher order values and repeat purchases. If you’re offering choice, Shopify makes it seamless.
So What Can Your Business Learn From These Shopify Giants?
Look past the logos and you’ll see a few recurring themes. These brands don’t just throw products online. They invest in speed, design, and user experience. They focus on mobile first. They use automation to scale. And most importantly, they own their customer relationships.
Big brands aren’t winning just because they’re big. They’re winning because they’re efficient, smart, and obsessed with details. The good news? That’s not exclusive to them. Shopify gives you the same tools they use. What separates winners is execution.
Use these brands as your blueprint. Look at their layouts. Pay attention to how they structure product pages, drive urgency, and keep the funnel frictionless. Then figure out how to bring those same tactics into your store, on your terms.
The Role of Smart Design in Shopify Success
Behind every top Shopify store is a thoughtful design that drives conversion. We’re not talking about pretty colors. We’re talking about functional layouts, intuitive navigation, and fast load times that make shopping feel effortless.
Each brand on this list put serious effort into design strategy. That’s where Bluesoft comes in. We don’t do cookie-cutter templates. We build custom Shopify sites that are engineered to convert. Whether you’re launching a new store or migrating from another platform, we can help you build a storefront that actually sells.
FAQ: What People Want to Know About Shopify and Top Brands
What are some famous brands that use Shopify?
Some of the most well-known companies using Shopify include Gymshark, Allbirds, Skims, Kylie Cosmetics, and Fashion Nova. These brands trust Shopify to handle everything from flash sales to international scaling.
Is Shopify only for small businesses?
Definitely not. Shopify powers businesses of all sizes, including enterprise-level companies like Heinz and Staples. Its ability to scale makes it perfect for both startups and big brands.
Why do big brands use Shopify instead of custom platforms?
Because Shopify is faster to launch, easier to manage, and doesn’t sacrifice power. It gives brands more control over UX, data, and customer experience without needing massive developer teams.
Can I build a Shopify site that looks as good as Gymshark or Skims?
Yes. With the right design partner, your store can look and perform just as well. Bluesoft Design creates custom Shopify sites that match your brand and convert like crazy.
What’s the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is built for high-volume businesses. It includes advanced features like customizable checkout, API access, and exclusive support. If you’re scaling fast, Plus is worth a look.
How does Shopify handle high traffic and large product catalogs?
Shopify is built to scale. It uses a global CDN, robust infrastructure, and optimized themes to handle heavy traffic and huge inventories without crashing or slowing down.
Can I migrate from WooCommerce or Magento to Shopify?
Yes. Shopify migrations are smooth when handled correctly, and Bluesoft has deep experience helping clients move from Magento, WooCommerce, and other platforms to Shopify without the headaches.
How much does it cost to build a Shopify store like these brands?
It depends on your goals. Custom builds can range widely based on features, but Bluesoft offers packages tailored to different stages of growth. Get a free consult to explore your options.
Do you need a developer to run a Shopify store?
Not always. Shopify is user-friendly, but working with a partner like Bluesoft can save time, improve performance, and help you avoid mistakes that cost money in the long run.
Let’s Build Your Shopify Store the Right Way
If you’re serious about launching or scaling your Shopify store, don’t waste time piecing it together with plugins and templates that won’t convert. The brands we just covered didn’t guess their way to success, they made smart investments in strategy, design, and execution.
At Bluesoft Design, we specialize in building custom Shopify stores that do more than just look good. We design for performance, scalability, and real results. Whether you’re moving off Magento, starting fresh, or rebuilding an underperforming site, we’ll help you craft a storefront that loads fast, looks sharp, and drives sales from day one.
You’ll get a fully customized ecommerce site tailored to your products, your customers, and your goals. No bloated themes. No copy-paste designs. Just a strategy-first build that makes your brand look like a million bucks and actually sell like it.
Don’t settle for a mediocre Shopify store. Work with a team that builds like the top brands do.
👉Let’s talk and map out your Shopify game plan today.
