Is Buying a Shopify Store Profitable? A Detailed ROI Analysis
What Does The Shopify (E-commerce) Market Look Like?
To help you understand whether buying a Shopify store is profitable, let’s first have a sneak peek into what the (e-commerce) market currently looks like…
Global online shopping continues to explode. In 2025, global e-commerce sales are expected to reach about US$6.86 trillion, up roughly 8.4% from 2024. (Source)
This clearly shows online selling is growing faster than physical retail.
This can only translate to one thing: buying an existing Shopify store could put you right where the growth is heading!
Shopify itself remains a platform of choice for many e-commerce business owners.
As of 2025, it handled about US$292.3 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) for all its merchants in the previous year. (Source)
Many businesses use Shopify. There are millions of active Shopify stores worldwide.
Because of this large scale, many Shopify stores are available for purchase on marketplaces or via brokers.
However, the large numbers do not guarantee success for every store. Many stores fail or perform poorly.
Some estimates say only 5% to 10% of Shopify stores become successful businesses.
This low success rate matters a lot for someone buying a store. The odds are against random shops being good investments.
In other words, you have to take your time to find a successful Shopify store with good performance and predictable growth potential.
Related: 8 Best Places to Buy E-commerce Business Online
We Help You Buy / Build, Manage and Scale E-commerce Brands for an EXIT
E-commerce Simplified for Busy Individuals – We handle the buying, building, and scaling, so you can focus on what matters.
Growth-Focused Strategies – From sourcing to marketing, we drive growth and prepare you for a profitable exit.
Expertly Managed Exits – We build a high-value brand designed for a Lucrative exit.
How Are Shopify Stores for Sale Valued?
When people sell a Shopify store, buyers often price it based on profit multiples (check this out: e-commerce valuation multiples).
A common evaluation method for a Shopify store involves:
You take the store’s net profit over 6 to 12 months (or the monthly average) and multiply it by a factor (i.e., a multiple)
Here are typical ranges:
Many e-commerce stores sell at 2.5× to 6× annual net profit, depending on quality, niche, and stability.
For smaller, owner-operated stores, multiples often are around 3–5× annual profit.
Some marketplaces for selling e-commerce stores use monthly profit times a multiple. For example, a store earning $5,000 per month might list at about $15,000 (≈ 3× monthly profit).
Because of this, many smaller stores sell for under US$50,000.
If a store earns $3,000 per month net profit (≈ $36,000 per year), at 4× that you’d pay around $144,000.
This is a sizable investment, but given consistent profit and good traffic, it might pay off over time.
When buyers pay attention to factors like steady traffic, brand strength, and supplier stability, they accept higher multiples.
Related: Total Cost Breakdown of Buying A Shopify E-commerce Store
When Buying A Shopify Store Can Be Profitable
You may profit from acquiring a Shopify store if you get one that already shows stable sales and profit, and you manage it well.
But how do you ensure you find a good deal?
Here’s what we have seen work repeatedly for buyers:
Make sure the store has stable monthly sales and profits for at least 12 months. That gives you a track record.
Make sure the store attracts customers through diverse channels (organic traffic, ads, email), not just a single risky channel. That lowers the risk of a traffic drop.
You keep operations efficient and control costs such as product sourcing, shipping, and marketing.
If you get a store that nets, say, $3,000–$5,000 per month, and ticks the above boxes, you might recoup your purchase in 1.5 to 3 years (depending on purchase price).
Not to forget, you skip the early years of trial and error needed when starting fresh. You get a live store, customer base, supplier relationships, and existing workflows.
Related: Should I Buy An E-commerce Store or Start One From Scratch?
When Buying Shopify Stores For Sale Can Go Wrong
Profitability isn’t always guaranteed whenever you buy a Shopify store. A deal can go wrong pretty fast if you ignore key risks.
ALWAYS keep in mind that even a store that looks good on the surface can hide issues that damage profit, disrupt operations, or weaken long-term performance.
Some of the most common risks include:
Many Shopify stores are not profitable. The 5%–10% success rate suggests most stores struggle or fail.
A store might rely on unstable traffic sources, like paid ads or a trending product. If ads become expensive or interest fades, revenue may drop sharply.
Supply chain issues or product sourcing problems may raise costs or reduce margins.
Buyers may overpay, paying for past profit that may not persist if conditions change.
In fact, one Reddit user described buying a store with $9,500 per month in revenue but only $2,700 profit. When the ads stopped working, the store went to zero profit very quickly.
This story illustrates how fragile some online stores can be. A sale price based on past profit may look fair…until profit disappears.
What To Watch When Evaluating A Shopify Store To Buy
If you consider buying a Shopify store, here is a checklist to help you conduct a proper evaluation like a pro:
Profit history: Ask for at least 12 months of profit and loss (P&L) data. Prefer stores that show stable or growing profit.
Traffic quality: Check if traffic comes from multiple sources (search, ads, email, social). Relying on one source is risky.
Customer base and retention: A store that retains customers and has repeat buyers is more stable than one dependent on first-time buyers only.
Supplier and fulfillment stability: Confirm that suppliers are reliable, that inventory management and shipping work smoothly.
Operational load: A store that can run without heavy owner input (or can be handed to someone else) is more valuable.
Valuation multiple: Use realistic multiples (e.g., 3–5× annual profit) to avoid overpaying.
As we discussed in this earlier post, many buyers now use a valuation band between 4× to 6× Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE) for good stores.
Also, ensure the deal includes all key assets: domain, supplier contacts, apps, data, and payment gateways, so you don’t face surprises after transfer.
We Help You Buy / Build, Manage and Scale E-commerce Brands for an EXIT
E-commerce Simplified for Busy Individuals – We handle the buying, building, and scaling, so you can focus on what matters.
Growth-Focused Strategies – From sourcing to marketing, we drive growth and prepare you for a profitable exit.
Expertly Managed Exits – We build a high-value brand designed for a Lucrative exit.
When Buying Might Make Less Sense than Starting New
Buying a store is NOT always better than building from scratch.
In this section, we take a closer look at some key scenarios where building a new store could be smarter:
If you lack capital, buying even a small store often costs several thousand dollars. Starting a new store may require less upfront cost.
If you want full control over brand, niche, and business model, starting fresh lets you build the way you want, without legacy constraints.
If you have less confidence in understanding profit margins, traffic, and cost structure. A new store gives you time to learn before scaling.
If you plan to invest heavily in a niche or product that demands flexibility from the start.
Thus, for many people, building from scratch, with clean books and full control, can be safer than inheriting someone else’s store.
Buying A Shopify Store FAQs:
Below are quick answers to commonly asked questions to help you understand the reality behind Shopify stores' acquisitions:
Is owning a Shopify store profitable?
Owning a Shopify store can be profitable if you sell products with strong demand, keep costs low, and build traffic that converts. Many stores fail because they rely on unstable ads or poor margins. Profit comes from steady sales, repeat customers, and smart operations backed by clear data.
Is buying a Shopify store worth it?
Buying a Shopify store is worth it when the business has verified profit, stable traffic, clean financials, and a fair valuation. It saves you time compared to starting from zero. It is not worth it if profit is unproven, traffic is unstable, or the seller’s numbers do not match real performance.
How much do Shopify store owners make?
How much a Shopify store owner makes varies widely. Some stores make a few hundred dollars a month, while well-run stores can earn several thousand in net profit. Strong stores often earn between $2,000 and $10,000 per month, but real profit depends on product margins, traffic quality, and how well the owner controls operating costs.
If you want a visual guide, the video below shares quick facts on why most e-commerce business acquisitions fail:
Conclusion
Buying a Shopify store can give you decent profits and save you the early pain of starting up. But your success depends heavily on how well you conduct due diligence, valuation, and how you manage your store afterward.
If you get a good deal (i.e., buy a store with good financial history, diversified traffic, stable suppliers, and realistic expectations), then purchasing a Shopify store can be a smart investment. But if you skip due diligence or overpay, you could lose money.
Buy A Profitable Shopify Store With Trend Hijacking
You can own a profitable Shopify store in about 60 days if you let us help you.
Our team at Trend Hijacking helps you find strong deals for you, checks every detail, handles negotiations, and then sets up proven scaling methods that support your online shop’s maximum growth.
If you want a simple path that reduces risk and saves time, check out our Smart Acquisition Program to see how the process works and how it can help you move forward.
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