Shopify "Shop Minis" Asks: What If a Marketplace Was More Like a Bazaar Than a Monolithic Borg?

The mobile web vs. app debate is a complex one. These facts exist:

* On mobile, apps convert and engage significantly better than the mobile web.

* On the other hand, It's hard to get anyone to download and use a new app.

One of the parts of Editions that was interesting was Minis. Minis are a set of SDKs that allow developers to customize Shop App experiences and publish apps, which a brand can then adopt.

Ultimately, it's a new green field App Store opportunity for developers. The goal for the brand is to use the benefits of the Shop App while allowing the brand to provide tailored experiences.

And for Shopify it's trying to set up a new flywheel.

More buyers in Shop App = more brands attracted to Shopify. More brands in Shopify = more buyer value in Shop App. Better experiences from Minis = higher buyer satisfaction with Shop App.

For Shopify, the Shop App is a moonshot idea. If an eCommerce platform can drive buyers to its sellers, you have a generational company with its self-reinforcing flywheel.

For sellers, it's a leap of faith. Will the new Shopify master become the same as the old master Amazon? Or will Shopify be that elusive, kind overlord that can provide traffic and not be harsh to deal with?

There are signs of both out there, but for SMB and lower-middle-market brands, the equation is still beneficial for the brand side. For upper-middle market and Enterprise brands, the jury is still out.

Some questions that come to mind for me:

* At what point does a growing Shopify brand need its own app rather than relying on Shop App? (Shopify's job is to delay or negate that point.)

* At what point does Shop App become so valuable that you need a store here, even if your primary platform is not Shopify? (That time is not now, but you could imagine one.)

* Will buyers wonder whom they are buying from on Shop App?

* Will Shop Promise (and its derivatives) intrude on a brand's promises, loyalty, and customer ownership?

* Are Shopify's promises enough to blunt the Prime juggernaut?

* Will Shopify offer trust and ease for buyers and flexibility for the brand simultaneously?

* If Shopify turns out not to be the benign master it claims today if Shop App grows, will it be too late for brands to back out at that point?

* If you are an Enterprise brand, there is a significant risk if your core infrastructure becomes a channel competitor. What would need to be true to justify that risk? (Some would say there is nothing that justifies such risk, ever)

In physical terms, I view what Shopify is creating as closer to what an outdoor Middle Eastern or Asian bazaar looks like, than a monolithic US indoor mall with its sea of sameness.

The next few years will be interesting.