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Shopify's Unstoppable Growth Outpaces Amazon's E-commerce Dominance
3 Aug
Summary
- Shopify's founders saw opportunity in poor e-commerce tools for small businesses
- Amazon's advertising model frustrates third-party sellers, driving them to Shopify
- Shopify allows merchants to build authentic brand connections with customers

In 2025, Shopify's remarkable journey continues to unfold, with the company solidifying its position as a formidable force in the e-commerce landscape. The story began back in 2006 when Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake created Shopify in response to the lack of quality tools available for small businesses looking to establish an online presence.
The stage was set for Shopify's incredible growth by Amazon's commanding, yet heavy-handed, control of North America's online shopping market. Many merchants and online sellers utilize Amazon.com as a selling platform due to its sheer size, but they increasingly view Amazon as a competitor rather than a partner. This is because Amazon is monetizing its sales platform through advertising, forcing third-party sellers to pay to feature their products if they want to remain competitive.
Shopify's platform, on the other hand, allows merchants to build authentic brand connections with their customers, something that is increasingly important to consumers. Recent research indicates that 70% of consumers say they can better relate to an authentic brand and are more likely to buy from it. Shopify's technology enables businesses to directly engage with their customers, unlike the impersonal product listings on Amazon.
With Shopify's leading 28% share of the U.S. e-commerce market and the overall industry's projected growth of 12% annually through 2033, the company is poised to maintain its strong performance well into the future. While Shopify's valuation may seem steep, the market is supportive of the company's bright prospects, and this window of opportunity may not remain open for much longer.