OTTAWA ― Shopify’s subscribed merchants have surpassed the one-million mark, and analysts are remarking on the pace of the e-commerce platform’s growth. It already passed eBay this year as the number-two e-retailer on the stock market, just after Amazon. New York University’s Scott Galloway, in a YouTube video commentary, favourably contrasted Shopify’s low profile with the prominence of Amazon’s branding. “Amazon sits on top of a data set and leverages these data and learnings to buttress its own private label brands and always—always—its own brand is put forward,” he says, while in contrast Spotify is “the perfect partner for brands looking to build their own business.”
Hana Abaza, marketing director for Shopify Plus, plays down the hype. “I mean listen, I’ve seen all of the comments around that,” she says. “I think what Shopify does and the problems we try and solve is really guided by what’s in the best interest of our merchants.” Still, analysts took note when Shopify announced in June it would build a fulfillment network to deliver orders within two days, a possible sign it intends to become more competitive with Amazon’s Prime services.
