Hi I’m opening a brick store soon, but with the idea to set up a webshop later.
I was wondering what the differences are between the “Shopify” and “Retail” plans? They’re each 69 euro’s/month if you pay them for a year, monthly the “Shopify” is a bit more expensive.
I know that the “Retail” comes with only one webshop theme. But there must be other possibilities with that plan that the “Shopify” plan doesn’t have? I believe both and even the “Basic” plan come with a POS system if you have a brick store? Right?
Hey, [email removed]SharonBoucquez! Welcome to Shopify Community!
I’m excited to hear you’re about to launch your business. What’s it all about? It’s a good call you’re setting up a physical and online presence as having both can provide a competitive advantage and can set you apart from your competitors. A benefit of this is the ability to reach customers farther and wider through your online store and the ability to establish a personal connection with customers through your brick-and-mortar store. If you wish to learn more about the other benefits, feel free to check out this blog post.
Now, I’d love to discuss the difference between the Shopify Retail plan and the Shopify plan, and help you decide which of the two is more suitable for your business. Essentially, the Shopify Retailplan is designed for in-person selling at brick-and-mortar stores. It includes all the features of POS Pro, which are advanced features designed for businesses selling from a permanent retail location, and a simple online store, that has product pages, a contact page, and our fast and secure checkout.
The Shopify plan on the other hand, is primarily focused for online selling. It includes a more comprehensive online store, and the features of the POS Lite plan, which are basic features for selling in-person such as taking in-person payments, capturing basic customer information, and accepting limited returns and exchanges. You have the option to upgrade to the POS Pro plan when you’re subscribed to the Shopify plan, however, it will be an additional $89 USD/location/month. You can visit this page to compare the features of the POS Lite and POS Pro plans.
If your main sales channel is your brick-and-mortar store, I suggest trying out the Shopify Retail plan as it allows you to test the waters when it comes to online selling. If you decide to boost your online presence, or if you notice your online store is growing, you can upgrade to the Basic, Shopify or Advanced plans anytime.
What are your long-term plans for your online presence? Are you looking to grow your online store as well?
Hi Summer! Thank you for taking your time to explain the differences between the two plans.
I’m opening a multibrand lingerie boutique, so the face to face services will always be very important compared to online selling. Having a webshop is something I see as an extra for the customers who already have experienced that service and just need to order something they’re already familiar with or in times of pandemics and lockdowns (fingers crossed we won’t have that in the next years of my carreer).
I also see it as an extra way of visibility next to my social media marketing.
So I have an additional question about the Retail plan. As it comes with the free Spotlight theme, is it possible to change that theme (with perhaps an extra cost) or do I have to change the plan then?
And one other question. Is it possible to connect the POS system with a payment terminal of own choice? I have contact with someone who works with “Payworld”, suggested by my bank. Or am I limited to Shopify’s payment terminal?
My pleasure, @SharonBoucquez ! That’s an excellent point you raised. Having a physical store can provide an advantage when selling apparel since customers can try on the products and gain confidence in their purchase. However, it’s also a good idea to have an online presence through a website. Many successful stores with a strong physical presence also maintain an online presence, as it enhances the brand’s credibility and reach.
Regarding the Retail plan theme, currently, it’s not possible to add other themes. The Spotlight theme is the only option available with this plan, and the theme editor is simplified compared to the Basic, Shopify, or Advanced plans. This means you’ll have limited flexibility in designing your website. If you wish to use a different theme and have more control over the store design, upgrading your plan would be the best course of action.
As for POS hardware, it is certainly possible to use an external payment terminal. However, please note that payments processed through an external terminal will be handled by your terminal provider outside of Shopify. The POS app won’t be able to track these payments directly, but it can record that a customer used this payment method for an order. To use an external terminal, you’ll need to set up a custom payment method and follow the instructions provided in this guide.
Let me know if you have other questions and I’ll be happy to help you further!
Comparison between the Shopify and retail plans (€69/month annually, as of 31st October, 2024) intended for your physical store and online store in future:
Shopify Plan (€92/month if billed monthly) Focus: Selling on Internet as well as physically — perfect for expanding an online store in future. Online Store: Many different themes — supple, customizable plans. POS: Comes with POS Lite — simple offline sales (upgrade to POS Pro at €79/month/location). Staff Accounts: 5 — Ideal for controlling a small group of people. Features: Sophisticated reporting, abandoned cart recovery, lower fees (1. 7% + €0. 30 with Shopify Payments). Best For: Omnichannel growth — brick store now, robust webshop later.
Retail Plan (€79/month if billed monthly) Focus: In-person retail — basic online presence. Online Store: One theme (Spotlight) — limited customization. POS: Includes POS Lite — same as Shopify (upgrade to POS Pro available). Staff Accounts: 5 — same as Shopify. Features: Basic reporting, retail tools (e. g., customer data capture), slightly higher fees (1. 9% + €0. 30). Best For: Brick store focus — minimal webshop needs.
Quick Take
Choose Shopify—it caters for your physical shop today (with the POS Lite), and it will also be adaptable for a web store in future. Retail saves a bit monthly but limits online growth.