Can You Sell A Shopify Store? Your Guide To A Huge Exit:
What Makes Your Store Worth Buying?
At Trend Hijacking, we interact daily with tens of Shopify business owners looking to exit with big expectations.
Most of them think their store is worth a certain amount because of how much heart and soul they put into it.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. The market doesn't care about your late nights; it cares about your "SDE," or Seller's Discretionary Earnings. Basically, this means your net profit plus any personal expenses you ran through your business.
Typically, a Shopify store sells for a multiple of that profit. Depending on your niche and how automated things are, you’re looking at anywhere from 2x to 4x your annual profit.
If you’re making $100,000 a year in profit, you might walk away with $300,000.
Now that’s a life-changing amount of money for many, but you have to have the data to back it up.
Sell Your E-Commerce Business Fast
At TrendHijacking, we help you connect with serious investors who are ready to buy e-commerce businesses like yours.
We check all the numbers and present your business in the best light. Our pre-vetted buyers skip the “is this real?” stage, so you can get a better price and close faster.
Submit your business details today and make selling simpler, faster, and more profitable.
How Do You Prepare Your Shopify Business for Sale/Exit?
You wouldn't sell a house with dishes in the sink and holes in the drywall. The same goes for your Shopify store. Before you even list it, you need to get your "house" in order.
This starts with your books. If your personal expenses are tangled up with your business expenses, it’s time to separate them.
Buyers want to see clean profit-and-loss statements that make sense at a glance.
Next, you’ll need to evaluate your store traffic. If 90% of your customers come from one single Facebook ad that you’re constantly babysitting, that comes out as a red flag to the buyers.
Buyers want to see a mix of organic search, email marketing, and social traffic. The more diverse your traffic is, the more stable your business looks.
Where Do You Find A Buyer For Your Shopify Store?
To sell your Shopify store, you’ll have to list it on a third-party marketplace where buyers frequent. When you're ready to pull the plug, the good news is that you’ll have a few options.
For smaller stores—maybe those making a few thousand a month—platforms like Empire Flippers or Flippa are great. These are some of the popular marketplaces where you can list your site and let buyers come to you.
If your store is a heavy hitter doing mid-six or seven figures in annual profit, you might want to look at a business broker.
They operate more like real estate agents for companies. They’ll help you "package" the business, vet the buyers so you aren't wasting time with "tire kickers," and handle the messy legal bits of the transition.
An even better option would be to work directly with us at Trend Hijacking. When you list your Shopify store with us, you’ll enjoy the benefit of getting a buyer first, thanks to our network of serious investors who are always on the lookout for profitable Shopify stores for sale.
You can find more information on how to sell your Shopify business with Trend Hijacking here.
How Do You Handover Your Shopify Store After Selling?
If you follow the marketplaces' path, the actual sale of Shopify businesses usually happens through an escrow service.
This protects both the buyer and the seller: the buyer puts the money in a "vault," you transfer the Shopify ownership and the domain, and once the buyer confirms everything is as described, the money is released to you.
Once the money is sitting in an escrow account, the "migration" begins. You’ll need to transfer the Shopify ownership, the domain, and the social media accounts.
Once the deal is closed, you should expect to stay on for a "training period" at the request of the new owner. This might be 30 or 60 days.
During this time, you answer emails or jump on a weekly call to show the new owner how to run the ads or talk to the suppliers.
Being helpful during this stage is the best way to ensure the deal doesn't fall through at the last minute.
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling A Shopify Store:
Here are some frequently asked questions on selling a Shopify store:
How much is my Shopify store actually worth?
Most Shopify stores sell for a "multiple" of their annual net profit, typically between 2x and 4x. For example, if your store profits $50,000 a year, it could be worth $100,000 to $200,000. Factors like brand strength, automated operations, and diverse traffic sources will push you toward the higher end.
How long does it take to sell a Shopify store?
A typical sale takes between 30 and 90 days. This includes the time needed to list the business, vet potential buyers, and complete "due diligence," where the buyer verifies your traffic and financials. Once terms are agreed upon, the actual legal transfer and asset migration usually takes about two weeks.
Do I have to pay Shopify a fee when I sell my store?
If you sell your Shopify business through a third-party marketplace or private broker, Shopify does not take a direct "commission" on the sale price. However, you will still be responsible for any standard platform subscription fees until the ownership is officially transferred. If you use a marketplace like Flippa, you should expect to pay their specific listing and success fees.
What happens to my customer data during the sale?
When you sell your store, the customer database and email lists are considered primary assets. You must transfer these securely to the new owner. It is critical to ensure your privacy policy allows for the transfer of data during a business sale to stay compliant with privacy laws like GDPR or CCPA.
Can I sell my Shopify store if I use dropshipping?
Yes, dropshipping stores are highly sellable because they are "asset-light." Buyers love them because they don't require managing physical warehouses or large upfront inventory costs. To get a high price, you must prove you have a reliable relationship with your suppliers and a consistent history of quality fulfillment and happy customers.
Sell Your E-Commerce Business Fast
At TrendHijacking, we help you connect with serious investors who are ready to buy e-commerce businesses like yours.
We check all the numbers and present your business in the best light. Our pre-vetted buyers skip the “is this real?” stage, so you can get a better price and close faster.
Submit your business details today and make selling simpler, faster, and more profitable.
The Bottom Line
So, to answer your question, "Can you sell a Shopify store?", yes, you can sell your Shopify store to an entrepreneur who becomes the new owner of the business. As long as you have clear records, a solid customer base, and a platform that can survive without you, there is almost certainly a buyer out there waiting for you.
Selling your Shopify store is the ultimate "exit" for any entrepreneur. It’s the moment when you turn all that sweat equity into one big cheque.
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