Buy and Sell Shopify Shop

Sellers typically state their "TTM Revenue" and "TTM Profit" (Trailing Twelve Months — the last 12 months of performance). Mabya protects you against fraudulent misrepresentation by giving you the ability to reverse the transaction. That said, conducting your own due diligence is essential. Before finalizing any deal, ask the seller to share Shopify reports, advertising costs (e.g. Facebook Ads), and analytics data.

No. Shopify is a fully cloud-based and hosted system. You do not need any web development skills. The platform is intuitive and user-friendly. What matters far more for success are skills in online marketing, product sourcing, and customer service.

This depends on the individual listing, but you typically receive a complete package:

• Ownership of the Shopify account, including the theme and all configurations.
• The associated domain name.
• Supplier contacts (especially important for dropshipping or print-on-demand).
• The customer base and newsletter subscribers (in compliance with applicable data protection laws).
• Associated social media accounts (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook).
• If applicable: physical inventory (often at an additional cost or negotiated separately).

You will take on the monthly Shopify subscription fees, fees for any installed Shopify apps, annual domain costs, and your variable budget for marketing and advertising.

The value of an established Shopify store is typically calculated as a multiple of the monthly or annual net profit. Factors that significantly increase the value include:

• Consistently growing revenue and high, clean profit margins.
• A high share of organic traffic (SEO).
• A strong brand with active social media followers and a large email list.
• Automated processes (e.g. automated fulfillment or dropshipping).
• Owner time commitment (the fewer hours per week required, the more attractive it is to investors).

Shopify makes the migration very straightforward:

1. In your Shopify admin panel, go to "Settings" > "Users and Permissions."
2. Add the buyer as a new staff member.
3. Click "Transfer Ownership" and select the buyer.
4. After accepting, the buyer must enter their own payment details (credit card/PayPal) for Shopify billing and Shopify Payments.

Important: If you use services like "Shopify Balance" or "Shopify Capital," those accounts must be cleared or paid off before the transfer.

Through Mabya's buyer protection and escrow service, you are on the safe side. You only initiate the technical transfer of the domain and store once Mabya has confirmed that the buyer has already deposited the full payment.

Buyers want to understand both the future potential and the reason for the sale. Your listing (expose) should be fully transparent and include:

• Financials: TTM revenue, TTM profit, and average product margin.
• Time commitment: How many hours per week do you work in the store?
• Marketing: Which channels (Meta, Google, TikTok) generate revenue?
• Reason for selling: Why are you selling? (e.g. focus on a new project, lack of time due to a primary job).
• Supply chain: Do you manufacture yourself, hold inventory, or use dropshipping?

Yes! On Mabya there is strong demand for so-called "starter stores" or "turnkey stores." These are fully set-up stores in a specific niche (e.g. one-product dropshipping stores) that are ready to launch immediately. Buyers are purchasing the time saved in building and researching the store.

The profit multiple is one of the most discussed topics in any store acquisition. According to industry data, most established Shopify and direct-to-consumer (DTC) stores sell for between 2.5x and 6x annual net profit, depending on quality, niche, and stability. Smaller owner-operated stores typically fall in the 3x-5x range, while well-branded stores with strong organic traffic and minimal owner involvement can command higher multiples. Factors that push the multiple up include diversified traffic sources, a loyal returning customer base, automated fulfillment, and a strong brand identity. Factors that lower it include heavy reliance on paid advertising, a single-channel revenue model, or high owner time requirements.

Experienced buyers consistently flag the following warning signs during due diligence:

• Traffic concentrated in one channel: A store that gets nearly all its sales from a single paid ad platform (e.g. Facebook Ads) is vulnerable. If that platform changes its algorithm or suspends the account, revenue can disappear overnight.
• Revenue spikes without explanation: A sudden jump in sales shortly before the listing is published deserves close scrutiny. Ask the seller to walk you through the data live via screen share, showing Shopify Analytics and payment processor records.
• No verifiable supplier relationships: In dropshipping or print-on-demand stores, confirm that supplier agreements are transferable and that the seller introduces you to the supplier directly.
• Inconsistent financials: Always ask for at least 12 months of profit-and-loss data. If stated TTM profits do not reconcile with Shopify reports and advertising spend, treat this as a serious warning sign.

The time from listing to completed sale varies widely depending on the platform and the quality of the listing. On specialized business brokerage platforms, established stores with verified financials typically sell within 3 to 6 months. Stores listed on open marketplaces with auction-style formats can sell within a few weeks, though pricing and deal quality can be more variable. A well-prepared listing — with clean financials, clear documentation of operations, and a transparent explanation of the reason for selling — consistently shortens the sales timeline. Starter stores and turnkey stores with no revenue history can move faster when priced appropriately, since buyers are primarily paying for the time saved building the store from scratch.