Complete Guide to Managing Multiple Shopify Stores with PIM

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Imagine multiplying your online store's reach and revenue without doubling your workload. Sounds too good to be true?

It's not, when you consider building multiple Shopify stores. In today's rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape, diversification isn't just a strategy; it's a necessity.

Whether you're a seasoned e-commerce manager or just starting out, the idea of expanding your business through multiple Shopify stores offers an exciting avenue for growth.

In this blog, we'll explore the compelling reasons why establishing multiple storefronts can be a game-changer for your business, and how it can unlock new markets and opportunities with surprising efficiency.

Don’t know how Shopify works? Read our guide on What is Shopify and how you can sell more using Shopify’s Platform.

Impact of Multiple Shopify Stores in E-Commerce Landscape

The e-commerce world is evolving rapidly, with multiple Shopify stores becoming increasingly important. A recent study showed that retailers with more than one e-commerce platform increased their market reach by 35% compared to those with a single platform.

Today, having just one online store isn't enough for e-commerce success. Consumer preferences are diverse and constantly changing, making it essential to have more than one specialized online store. Each store should be designed to meet the unique needs of different customer groups.

This is where Apimio PIM comes into play. It simplifies managing product information across various Shopify stores, ensuring that each store is perfectly tailored to its specific audience.

Key Reasons to Build Multiple Shopify Stores

Following are the most important reasons that will help you understand that building multiple shopify stores is a crucial factor in achieving success in the e-commerce sector.

1. Global Expansion

When going global, one of the most important things to consider is consumer preferences in different markets.

Creating separate Shopify stores for each country that you wish to expand to is a great way to personalize and localize your customer experience for each customer segment.

Quick Tip: If you are creating stores in different countries, you should make the landing page in the country's local language, mention the pricing on the page in local currency, and use images that are referred to that specific local region, this will make it attractive to the local audience, and they can connect more with your products easily.

For example, if you are selling in the UK region, the currency will be the pound (local currency of UK), and the language will be English.

If you want to try Apimio PIM, book a demo now and explore all its amazing features.

2. Targeting Different Audience Segments

If you sell a variety of products on your Shopify store, you can create them for each audience segment.

For example, you may consider segmenting the goods by their types if you are selling Stationery goods.

You will be building a different store for those who want to buy kids' stationery and another for those who want to buy business stationery.

You can use a subdomain that makes them different while keeping them all under your primary domain’s umbrella.

3. Creating Stores in Many Languages

At Apimio, we’ve had customers that operate two or more Shopify stores: one for their European market, and one for their North American market.

This is because the European store is usually in a language that isn’t English, such as Swedish, French, or Spanish. It helps them sell better globally, and create loyal customers to their brand.

Try a PIM for Shopify and excel through better multilingual product information management.

4. Managing Off-Price or Outlet Brands

A lot of high-end brands create outlet stores to provide their products at lower costs. They do this to appeal to a different customer segment that prefers to buy common, but less expensive items. This allows them to target a bigger audience with different price ranges.

5. Broaden Reach

If you are running an online wholesale business and want to expand your business, and reach directly to consumer E-commerce, doing it from the same store is difficult. You may be selling some products to consumers individually and in bulk to others.

Rather than doing this from the same store, you can build a new store focusing on B2C (Business to Consumer) sales for direct selling while maintaining your original store's B2B (Business to Consumer) style.

Common Challenges with Managing Multiple Shopify on Stores and Solutions

Steps to Create Multiple Stores on Shopify

Here are some simple steps that can help you in building stores;

Step 01: Create another store.

Shopify does not provide the feature to create multiple stores with a single click. You have to create multiple stores one by one manually from the login screen.

Also, multiple stores can only be created by the users of the Shopify Plus plan; regular plans do not provide this feature. You have to purchase the Plus plan to create individual stores manually.

Go to the Shopify login page, enter your credentials, and click on the Create Another Account button.

Step 02: Add products and Store optimization.

After setting up another account in your Shopify store, the next step is adding your products. You may require to add the same or different products in your secondary store according to your need.

You will have to create different Shopify collections to categorize the products better if you sell different products.

Search Engine Optimization(SEO) is a critical part of any e-commerce business. If you have multiple shopify stores, it is important to ensure that your stores are SEO-optimized.

This is done by adding content that is SEO friendly, adding some sitemaps, configuring robots.txt, and much more.

Step 03: Customize the theme.

The look and feel of the store make the brand attractive. It is essential that your look and theme must match your brand. Shopify offers a lot of themes, paid or free, that you can choose to make your brand look embellished.

Also, you can use the Shopify theme editor to edit the theme and choose colors according to your brand requirements.

Keep in mind that the overall look of your store is essential and can affect your overall performance. So, choose a theme that is SEO-friendly.

Step 04: Integrate Third-Party Services.

After creating multiple stores on Shopify for different regions, you may need to update all the information across these stores manually.

It can affect your business efficiency, and you may need third-party services, such as PIM software, to organize the product information across all channels. Look for reliable PIM software to grow your business respectively.

Also, it is important to integrate your store with different shipping partners and payment service providers, depending on your store's needs.

Step 05: Language Setup

If you are considering going international, you may require different languages for each store.

You can change the language from Shopify language settings. You can choose the language according to your region and set a default language.

Step 06: Domain Setup

Each of the multiple stores will have its own unique domain. You can use your own existing domain if you have one. Or else Shopify allows the users to purchase domains from its platform.

You can use international domains to build multiple stores for different regions.

And here you are, ready to have multiple stores on Shopify.

How to manage multiple Shopify Stores?

As mentioned previously, it can be a very hectic task to manage multiple stores on Shopify. Apimio has made your job easier by providing solutions to manage them more effectively. The following is a list of tips you can follow:

Tip # 1: Implement real time inventory update

If you are planning to manage inventory for Shopify multi store, you should consider implementing real time updates to your inventory.

This will allow you to keep an eye on the demands and ensures you always have enough stock to meet your audience's needs. Look for a successful inventory management system with essential features of your needs.

It provides smooth fulfillment and logistics, prevents overselling, and gives you a protected buyer experience.

Tip#2: Optimize each site specifically

Each Shopify store has different product categories, offerings, and content.

Multiple stores on Shopify represent different niches and product data hence, it is always a better idea to optimize your site according to your target audience.

Tip#3: Centralize Order Management

Another most demanding job is to fulfill orders from these multiple stores and the only solution to this is by centralizing the fulfillment of your order, this will allow you to complete orders across all your Shopify stores.

You can do this by integrating a system that can push all your Shopify multi-store orders and also track them.

Tip#4: Product Information Management through Apimio

Apimio aims to save your time and increase revenue through Product Information Management (PIM). At

Apimio, all your product data can easily be standardized, centralized, and updated on all of your Shopify stores.

So you don’t have to go through the hassle of managing your Shopify stores as Apimio is here to help you get through any struggle associated with Shopify Stores.

Tip#5: Centralized Customer Support

A number of queries from multiple Shopify stores can lead to multiple problems if they come from multiple channels. A customer support system allows you to keep all your customer queries and order information in one convenient place.

It allows you to track customer feedback data and implement it in the product development process.

With a cohesive customer support system, you can prevent confusion within your customer support team, and it improves shoppers’ experience and, in return, can increase the customer's attention.

Apps to Manage Multiple Shopify Stores

We always need a helping hand, especially when taking on multiple tasks while running multiple stores online.

Here we have listed some useful apps which you can use for your benefit;

1. Apimio
2. Veeqo
3. Syncio
4. Rewind
5. Putler
6. Gorgias

1. Apimio

Apimio is a Canadian Product Information Management company based in Toronto and helps companies with PIM and PXM solutions. A tool like Apimio lets you invite all your retailers to your dashboard so you can share your product data in one click.

Features

• Centralize all product information
• Product information validation
• CSV import
• Manipulate product information with Templates
• Bulk editor
• Share product information
• Multi-channel listing

2. Veeqo

Displaying the correct inventory across the store is essential. If you have the inventory in your warehouse, but it is labeled as zero online, your sales can be lost.

And it can be a bad experience if the inventory is zero, but online, it is labeled as available.

Managing inventory in multiple stores can become messy and is very time-consuming; you can use multiple apps to help you with this matter.

Veeqo provides the best solutions to handle inventory management correctly across multiple shopify stores.

Features

• Easily manage the purchase orders
• Warehouse management control
• Automated purchasing management
• Connect physical stores
• Inventory syncing across multiple channels
• Create product bundles
• Running Cloud-based operation

3. Syncio

Syncio is one of the best apps to centralize inventory operations. It can sync inventory, product attributes, and order information across multiple stores in real time.

It saves a lot of your time, and you can consume that time to focus on other aspects of your business.

Features

• Sync the products across all stores
• Easily update the same products across multiple stores
• Map existing products by inventory
• Centrally manage the orders
• Prevent overselling
• Time-saving manually updating products attributes

4. Rewind

Rewind is a cloud-based data protection solution that automatically backups vital data on multiple platforms, including Shopify. It also backups product images, orders, customers, themes, product details, and much more.

Features

• Get rid of manual CSV export
• Supporting customers via chats, emails, and phone
• Provides error checking and reports
• Backup millions of items
• Mobile forms automation
• Prevent data loss

5. Putler

Putler is a multichannel analytics and insight app that provides you with in-depth reports of your products, customers, orders, website traffic, and sales under one roof.

You can connect all of your multiple shopify stores to Putler and can monitor all of your stores from one place.

Features

• Forecasting
• Goal tracking
• Custom segments
• Toggle between multiple Shopify stores
• Manage subscriptions
• Growth insights based on personalized data

6. Gorgias

Gorgias is all-in-one customer service, support, and live chat helpdesk for platforms like Shopify. Messages come with full message history, also shipping information, and addresses.

You can connect all of your customer service channels, emails, chats, Facebook, Instagram, and SMS and manage them from inside one Gorgias dashboard.

Features

• Ticketing system to keep orders
• Customer history tracking
• Email integration
• Refund, cancel, or duplicate orders from inside the store
• Autoresponders
• Manage customers and orders all from one dashboard

How to connect Shopify stores to Apimio?

Apmio lets you connect unlimited Shopify stores. The process is straightforward and easy. Once you connect your store to Apimio, it will automatically sync all the product information. Also, it shows the completeness score to monitor your product information.

1. Once you sign in to Apimio, click on connect to Shopify.
2. Give the Shop name and add URL.
3. It will be redirected to your Shopify account.
4. Install application.
5. Products are successfully synced. Now you are good to go.

Conclusion

Managing multiple Shopify stores can be exhausting and time-consuming, but if you follow the best practices and have the accurate tools, you can manage these stores very efficiently.

If you want to stay on top, remember that the practices should be followed properly, and the process should be smooth in order for you to prosper and expand your business more efficiently and effectively!

Apimio PIM is supported by Shopify app store to make your multi-store experience easier. Also, it helps you to run your operation more efficiently and improve your customer shopping experience.

What to do Next?

• Are you facing Shopify Multi-store issues? Well, head on to our blog to know more.
• Create an account to manage your products easily using Shopify's best app Apimio. Sign-up here.
• Contact our support if you have any queries or issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you have to pay for multiple stores on Shopify?

Using the basic Shopify plan will cost you around $79 to have the second store, and if you are using the Shopify Plus plan, it can cost you $119 per month to launch your second store. And on the advanced level plan, it can cost you $239 per month to have your second store.

2. How many stores can I have with one Shopify account?

You can open more than one store with the same email credential, but each store does have a separate account and would be accessed through a different admin. If you do have multiple stores associated with the same email, you can navigate between them once you have logged in to your Shopify admin.

3. Why have multiple Shopify stores?

There are multiple reasons to have multiple Shopify stores. Shopify offers a comprehensive range of features that cater to all your needs, such as free apps, support services, SEO and marketing tools. Their services are user-friendly, making them accessible even to smaller businesses.

Managing multiple Shopify stores can expand your brand, but it also brings new Shopify issues that store owners must address.

Whether it's technical issues with Shopify, sales challenges, or managing analytics, overcoming these obstacles is key to scaling your business.

Let's explore the most common Shopify challenges, and solutions to overcome them, ensuring your multi-store operation runs smoothly.

Multiple Stores Shopify Issues

Managing multiple Shopify stores can seem simple at first, but it often presents real challenges.

While Shopify provides many useful features, it also has some issues with Shopify that store owners need to be aware of.

Knowing these Shopify challenges is important, and fortunately, there are solutions to help manage them efficiently.

Common issues with Shopify stores & their solutions

These are some of the common Shopify issues that you may face:

• ERP integration
• Less increase in sales
• Getting products on store
• Marketing management
• Difficulty in finding customers
• Managing Analytics
• Multi-channel selling management

Shopify Issue # 1: ERP Integration

Integrating your Shopify store with an ERP system poses several challenges, including complexity, high costs, and the need for specialized knowledge.

Accurate data synchronization is crucial to avoid stock issues, but achieving real-time updates can be difficult.

Custom solutions may be required for unique workflows, and ongoing maintenance is essential for smooth operation.

Solution

To tackle the ERP integration issue with your Shopify store, choose a cloud-based ERP system with an open and well-documented API for easy integration.

These systems are user-friendly and affordable for small to medium-sized businesses, reducing IT costs and upfront investments.

Example

One helpful example of ERP integration is NetSuite, which connects with Shopify to enhance operations.

It automatically syncs customer orders, captures all relevant details, and updates inventory levels in real-time as orders are fulfilled, ensuring accurate stock availability.

Shopify Issue # 02: Less increase in sales

A common issue with Shopify is that high traffic doesn’t always translate into increased sales.

Many sellers struggle to convert visitors into customers, making it essential to attract the right audience.

Identifying customer needs and optimizing your sales funnel can help boost conversions and drive revenue growth.

Solution

To boost sales conversion in your Shopify stores, optimize product listings with clear descriptions, high-quality images, and customer reviews.

PIM software can enhance product data management, enabling targeted marketing campaigns and improving customer trust through consistent and reliable information.

By offering limited-time promotions and streamlining navigation and checkout processes, customer experience can be enhanced.

Shopify Issue # 03: Getting products on store

A common challenge in managing multiple Shopify stores is importing products.

While bulk uploads via CSV files are possible, errors can cause failures, forcing you to manually upload products one by one.

This is manageable for smaller inventories, but for those with thousands of products, it becomes a major hurdle.

Constantly updating attributes, categories, and images for each product is time-consuming and can lead to mistakes.

Solution

Inventory management is the answer to this whole issue.

Implementing a robust inventory management system in real-time ensures that you have accurate and up-to-date data at your fingertips.

Validate CSV files, ensuring that all attributes, categories, and images are correctly uploaded in one go.

Regularly auditing your inventory can also help identify and rectify issues before they affect your product uploads.

To streamline product uploads and reduce manual work, consider using Apimio's bulk upload feature.

Shopify Issue # 04: Marketing Management

Managing multiple marketplaces simultaneously is very difficult for business owners, especially those new to Shopify.

Being a store owner, it can become challenging for you to manage multiple things like the status of inventory, product management, sales, shipping, checking SKUs, and so more.

It can become even worse when your store demands optimum attention 24\7 every day of the week.

Solution

To overcome this issue, Shopify has worked with a wide range of apps to help you operate your business as smoothly as possible. Some examples of these apps are;

• Judge.me
• CedCommerce
• Omnisend

Judge.me: It allows the customers to leave reviews for you that you can review automatically.

CedCommerce: This app helps you share the load of getting inventory status, SKUs, shipping, and order management for all the marketplaces.

Omnisend: It allows campaign automation for emails and SMS marketing. It is helpful for large-scale campaigns.

Additionally, implementing PIM software can significantly enhance your marketing efforts.

By providing consistent and up-to-date product information across all channels, PIM software enables better campaign management and improves customer engagement.

Drive better results with automated campaign management through Apimio’s Campaign Management feature.

Shopify Issue # 05: Difficulty in finding customers

One major challenge for Shopify store owners, particularly those new to e-commerce, is attracting customers.

Driving traffic to your products can be tough, especially in a crowded online marketplace.

Many sellers struggle to stand out and reach their target audience, making it challenging to generate sales.

Solution

Being aware of the pros and cons of Shopify can help you solve this issue.

Make sure you are familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of other e-commerce platforms, so you can come up with a proper strategy to attract more customers.

Other ways may include promoting your business through advertisements and campaigns.

Collaborate with social media influencers, work with them, and pay for shoutouts. And lastly, work on the optimization of your store for a better engagement of customers.

Shopify Issue # 06: Managing Analytics

Managing analytics is often overlooked by Shopify store owners, yet it’s crucial for understanding how your multi-stores are performing.

Without timely and actionable insights, it’s challenging to identify areas for improvement and optimize your operations.

Slow reporting from analytics tools can be frustrating, and without clear data, you may struggle to make informed decisions.

Solution

To effectively manage analytics across your Shopify stores, invest in robust analytics tools that provide real-time data and actionable insights.

Look for platforms that integrate with Shopify and offer features like customizable dashboards, automated reporting, and key performance indicators (KPIs) tailored to your business goals.

Regularly schedule time to review these analytics to identify trends, track customer behavior, and measure the success of your marketing efforts.

Shopify Issue # 07: Multi-channel selling management

As customers increasingly shop across various platforms, multi-channel selling is becoming essential for e-commerce success.

Sellers often struggle to keep track of inventory, orders, and customer interactions across different platforms.

Therefore, moving towards the omnichannel retailing strategy is essential to not lag behind competitors.

This approach integrates all sales channels into a single system, streamlining operations and providing a cohesive customer experience.

Solution

To effectively manage multi-channel selling, implement an omnichannel strategy that integrates all your sales channels into a single platform.

Utilize tools and software designed for centralized inventory and order management, which can help synchronize data across various marketplaces.

Additionally, focus on maintaining consistent branding and messaging across all channels to enhance the customer experience.

Regularly analyze performance metrics from each channel to identify trends and optimize your strategy for better results.

Conclusion

Dealing with issues like managing product data, importing errors, and multi-channel selling can slow down your Shopify stores.

Implementing a PIM system provides a centralized solution that helps you automate tasks, ensure accurate product information, and deliver a seamless shopping experience.

Optimizing your multi-store setup with the right tools ensures better customer engagement and long-term growth.

What to do next?

• Want to know how you can manage multiple Shopify stores? Head on to our blog.
• Learn more about Apimio’s Shopify PIM integration.
• See how PIM for brands can help you enhance your brand operations.
• See how PIM for retailers can help you double your sales and grow your business.
• Read our blog posts to stay informed about the latest features and industry news.
• Book a demo to see how our PIM software can help your business operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the biggest problem with Shopify?

One of the biggest challenges with Shopify is uploading products efficiently. Errors during imports or from product listings on other marketplaces can cause issues, leading to delays and manual corrections.

2. Why is Shopify the best?

Shopify has its own customizable features and customer support 24/7. It is secure, reliable, and also mobile-ready. It offers the POS (point of sale), which makes it highly possible for you to be able to process orders and take payments in person.