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Shopify Opens Its First Brick-and-Mortar Entrepreneur Space

October 11, 2018

Shopify’s LA location will provide in-person support, training, education and access to the company’s suite of retail hardware products, all to help merchants level up their own businesses.

Los Angeles, CA - October 11, 2018 - Shopify Inc. (NYSE:SHOP)(TSX:SHOP), the leading multi-channel commerce platform, today announced the opening of its first-ever physical space for providing in-person help and support to merchants and aspiring entrepreneurs. Shopify is putting its many years of experience to work with a permanent space in LA where business owners can come to both get advice from our knowledgeable staff, and also to connect with other members of the entrepreneurial community. LA is the ideal place for this initial in-person location because the area plays host to over 400 top-performing merchants who have each individually earned over $1 million in GMV. There are 10,000 Shopify merchants in LA alone, and 80,000 in California.

Support, customer service, and training are all core to Shopify’s mission of empowering entrepreneurs everywhere. Shopify’s new space in LA is the in-person embodiment of the company’s many years of experience building a comprehensive network of Gurus, who help merchants online, via telephone, and through live chat twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to Guru support, Shopify has provided in-person guidance to merchants and entrepreneurs through events including Shop Class, Pursuit, and Retail Tour.

“Our new space in downtown LA is a physical manifestation of our dedication and commitment to making commerce better for everyone. We’re thrilled to be able to take our proven educational, support, and community initiatives and put them to work in an always-on capacity,” said Satish Kanwar, VP of Product at Shopify. “We know that making more resources available to entrepreneurs, especially early on, makes them far more likely to succeed, and we’re happy to now be offering that through a brick-and-mortar experience in LA.”

Shopify’s new home in LA is located in ROW DTLA, a dynamic commercial center accommodating 100 curated retailers, restaurants, and more. ROW DTLA, and downtown LA in general, are representative of the type of inspired entrepreneurship that Shopify makes its mission to encourage and grow.

Merchants interested in taking advantage of everything Shopify LA has to offer can visit Shopify’s new dedicated website for the space, which offers appointment booking for Guru support and retail consultation sessions. Visitors to the site can also register for educational classes, including talks from experts in the industry, practical workshops, and Shopify product previews and walkthroughs.

Shopify’s permanent space in LA is a fundamentally new kind of offering from a commerce solutions provider, and a key asset for anyone who uses or could benefit from Shopify’s platform, from sellers just starting out to established, multi-location retailers.

“The path to being your own boss doesn’t need to be lonely or isolating,” said Shopify COO Harley Finkelstein. “With Shopify LA we wanted to create a hub where business owners can find support, inspiration, and community. Most importantly, entrepreneurs at all stages and of all sizes can learn together, have first access to our newest products, and propel their entrepreneurial dreams.”

About Shopify

Shopify is the leading cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform. Merchants can use the software to design, set up, and manage their stores across multiple sales channels, including web, mobile, social media, marketplaces, brick-and-mortar locations, and pop-up shops. The platform also provides merchants with a powerful back-office and a single view of their business. The Shopify platform was engineered for reliability and scale, making enterprise-level technology available to businesses of all sizes. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify currently powers over 600,000 businesses in approximately 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Red Bull, Nestle, Rebecca Minkoff, Kylie Cosmetics, and many more.

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