Shopify Unite 2021 Recap 2 - The End Of Plus

SaaS
Written By Rick Watson

One way to think about what happened at Shopify. Shopify was trying to build a simple app for entrepreneur/SMB and a "stretch app" for the mid-market (Plus).

RIP Plus.

This has been coming for the past year, which is another reason you see Plus losing momentum and executives not commenting on it. Shopify's approach has changed. There are 3 levels of the product.

  1. "No Code": A way to do things in minutes without any code. Just click and go - 100% visual, no extra apps even needed.

  2. "Low Code": A way to do things with minor tweaks and customizations to a theme (think: CSS-style) and installing apps.

  3. "Custom": Fully API-first model with complete customization at any level with apps.

I think this spells the death of Plus as we know it. Commerce is too complex to try and pick the levels. Better to pick the approach and build the primitives in every level.

I think the headless folks have known this for a while, but the problem is without a low/no-code option as well, you don't have the broad adoption to defeat Shopify in the lower markets.

Whither B2B?

This means to me that they will build true B2B flexibility into the core platform. They just have to.

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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Shopify Unite 2021 Recap 1