The complete guide to starting a Shopify store in the UK

1. Check your idea first

Before building anything, check that people want what you're selling. Search Google and Amazon for similar products, look at what customers complain about in reviews, and ask potential buyers directly. A small test, such as a pre-order page or a few products on a marketplace, costs far less than a full store that doesn't sell.

Work out your numbers early. Use the profit margin calculator to check you still make money after product costs, shipping, fees and advertising.

2. Set up your business

Most new UK stores start as sole traders because it's simple: you register for Self Assessment with HMRC once your trading income goes over the £1,000 trading allowance. A limited company adds admin but separates your personal and business finances. Compare sole trader and limited company.

Open a separate business bank account, even as a sole trader. It makes bookkeeping and tax returns much easier.

3. Choose your Shopify plan

Shopify's main UK plans are Basic (£25 a month), Grow (£65) and Advanced (£344) on monthly billing, or £19, £49 and £259 a month if you pay yearly. Basic suits most new stores. Grow becomes worthwhile once lower card fees outweigh the higher plan price, or when you need more staff accounts. Compare plans with the fees calculator.

4. Get your domain and brand ready

Buy a short, memorable domain. UK shoppers trust .co.uk and .uk domains, and many brands also register the .com. Have your logo, colours and fonts ready before you start on the design, so the store looks consistent from day one.

5. Choose and set up a theme

Start with a free theme like Dawn or a premium theme from Shopify's Theme Store. Pick one built for your type of product and catalogue size, then set it up with your brand. Read how to choose a theme.

Design for mobile first: most UK shoppers browse and buy on their phones.

6. Add your products properly

Good product pages sell. For each product, include clear photos from several angles, an honest description that answers buyer questions, accurate variants (sizes, colours), weights for shipping and a unique SEO title and description. Group products into collections that match how customers shop. See how to add products the right way.

7. Set up payments

Turn on Shopify Payments to accept cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay, with no extra Shopify transaction fee. Add PayPal, and consider buy now, pay later options like Klarna or Clearpay. Read the UK payments guide.

8. Set up shipping

Decide how you'll ship (Royal Mail, Evri, DPD or a fulfilment centre) and set shipping rates by weight or price. Many stores offer free delivery over a threshold to increase order value. Read the UK shipping guide.

9. Set up VAT and taxes

If you're not VAT registered, you don't charge VAT. If you are, turn on VAT collection in Shopify, enter your VAT number and show prices including VAT, as UK consumers expect. Read the UK VAT guide.

10. Add legal pages

UK online stores need a privacy policy, terms and conditions, a returns policy that meets consumer law, and cookie consent for non-essential cookies. Your business name and a contact address must also be easy to find. Read the UK returns rules.

11. Test everything

Before launch, place real test orders on your phone and computer. Check every payment method, shipping rate, discount code and email notification. Use the pre-launch testing guide.

12. Launch and get your first customers

Connect Google Search Console and Google Analytics, submit your sitemap, and tell your existing network. Then choose one or two marketing channels to focus on first, such as Instagram, Google Shopping or email. See how to find your first 100 customers.

Frequently asked questions