Shopify's $1.2 trillion figure: where platforms stand on .uk websites
Platform research
Shopify's merchant ecosystem now tops $1.2 trillion in global economic activity, but on .uk websites WordPress and WooCommerce still lead — here is what the numbers actually show for British businesses weighing a platform choice.
What Shopify has announced
Retail Times reports that Shopify's merchant and partner ecosystem generated more than $1.2 trillion in global economic activity in the past year, up 110% from 2022. The same data says Shopify-powered businesses supported about 9.6 million jobs worldwide, up 193% from 2022.
These are Shopify's own figures and cover the whole world. They show how big the platform has become globally. They do not tell us how it is used in Britain, so it helps to look at .uk websites directly.
Which platforms .uk websites run on
Sayu's study checked .uk home pages for signs of different website and e-commerce platforms in September 2026.
As a website platform (CMS), WordPress was detected on 38.44% of .uk home pages, the most of the 8 platforms measured. Shopify was second of the 8, at 8.13%.
Among e-commerce platforms, WooCommerce was detected on 9.31% of .uk home pages, the most of the 8 measured. Shopify was second of the 8, again at 8.13%.
A few caveats matter here. This is a single snapshot from one month, so it shows levels, not a trend. It counts .uk websites, not UK businesses, and many British firms trade on .com or other domains. Detection relies on what shows up on a home page, so some sites will be missed or hard to classify. The figures say nothing about why any site chose its platform.
The wider retail picture is still worth keeping in mind. Online accounted for 27.3% of UK retail sales in August 2026, according to ONS figures covered in Sayu's study of online retail spending. That was up from 26.1% in August 2025, a rise of 1.2 percentage points. These are monthly figures, which move around through the year, so a single month comparison is a guide rather than a firm trend.
Choosing or moving: what to weigh
No platform is right for every shop. WordPress with WooCommerce, Shopify and other options each suit different needs. The best choice depends on your products, your budget, your team's skills and how much upkeep you want to handle yourself.
Moving platform is where most of the risk sits. Product pages, customer accounts, order history and search rankings all need careful handling. A rushed move can lose traffic that took years to build.
What this means for UK businesses
- Treat big global platform numbers as context, not as a reason to switch on their own.
- On .uk websites, WordPress, WooCommerce and Shopify all have a large presence, so support, developers and add-ons are easy to find for each.
- Pick a platform for your own needs: what you sell, how you sell it and who will maintain the site.
- If you move, plan the move as carefully as the build.
Analysis compiled by Sayu (sayu.co.uk).
