How to Find and Target Shopify Stores [2025 Guide]

Finding the right Shopify stores to target can make or break your business. Whether you're an agency looking for clients or an app developer seeking users, this guide shows you exactly how to find qualified prospects using proven methods and proprietary data insights.

This isn't just another prospecting guide—it's a complete playbook based on analyzing over 2 million Shopify stores, with real filter combinations, outreach templates, and case studies that actually work in 2025.

Shopify dominates e-commerce with over 4.6 million active stores worldwide. But the real opportunity lies in understanding which stores are worth your time and how to reach them effectively.

Store Distribution by Revenue (2025):

• Under $50k yearly: 65% of stores
• $50k-$250k yearly: 20% of stores
• $250k-$1M yearly: 10% of stores
• $1M+ yearly: 5% of stores

💡 Pro Tip: Focus on the $50k-$1M range for the best balance of budget and opportunity.

Understanding the current Shopify ecosystem helps you identify the biggest opportunities and avoid oversaturated markets.

💡 Data Source: StoreCensus 2025 Shopify Index (2M+ analyzed stores)

🚀 TikTok Pixel Growth (+50%): Massive opportunity for agencies specializing in TikTok advertising and younger demographic targeting.

📧 Email Marketing Maturation: With 29% using Klaviyo (up 26%), the market is becoming more sophisticated. Focus on advanced automation and retention strategies rather than basic email setup.

📱 Social Commerce Explosion: The combination of Meta Pixel (62%) and TikTok Pixel (18%) shows stores are diversifying their ad spend across platforms.

🛍️ Product Catalog Expansion: Average product count up 14% indicates stores are scaling their inventory—perfect for catalog management and product optimization services.

Before diving into StoreCensus filters, define exactly who your perfect client is. This prevents wasted time on unqualified prospects.

Email Marketing Agency:

Niche: Beauty & Personal Care
Revenue: $100k-$500k yearly
Tech: Meta Pixel (proven ad spend)
Products: 101-500 (established catalog)
Gap: No Klaviyo or Mailchimp

Conversion Rate Optimization:

Niche: Fashion & Apparel
Revenue: $250k-$1M yearly
Tech: Meta Pixel + GA4
Traffic: 25k+ monthly
Gap: High traffic, low conversion tools

Subscription App Developer:

Niche: Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness
Revenue: $500k-$5M yearly
Products: 51-500 (subscription-friendly)
Gap: No ReCharge or Bold Subscriptions

🧠 Try it Yourself: Fill out this ICP template for your niche before you start filtering in StoreCensus.

🎯 Best For: Quick research, finding niche stores, validating market size

Start with free methods before investing in paid tools. Google search operators can reveal thousands of Shopify stores in any niche.

For Email Marketing Agencies:

site:myshopify.com "newsletter" OR "email signup" OR "join our list"

For App Developers (finding competitors):

site:myshopify.com "reviews app" OR "product reviews" OR "customer reviews"

For Web Designers:

site:myshopify.com "coming soon" OR "under construction" OR "launching soon"

🎯 Best For: Qualified prospects, detailed filtering, contact information, bulk exports

StoreCensus is the most comprehensive Shopify store database, with detailed filtering and verified contact information for over 2 million stores.

Basic Qualification Filters:

• Estimated Sales: $50k-$1M yearly (sweet spot for agencies)
• Product Count: 101-1000 products (established inventory)
• Total Traffic: 5,000+ monthly visitors (active stores)
• Vertical: Choose your niche (Fashion, Beauty, etc.)

Advanced Qualification:

• Technology: Meta Pixel (stores running Facebook ads)
• Website Created: 1-3 years ago (established but growing)
• Contact Info: Email available (for outreach)

To find stores actively running Facebook ads, use the Technology filter to look for Meta Pixel installation:

✅ Technology: Meta Pixel
✅ Estimated Sales: $100k-$500k yearly
✅ Product Count: 101-1000 products
✅ Total Traffic: 10,000+ monthly

💡 Pro Tip: Meta Pixel indicates the store is running Facebook ads and has a proven marketing budget.

For Email Marketing Agencies:

Vertical: Beauty & Personal Care
Sales: $100k-$500k yearly
Products: 101-500
Technology: Meta Pixel
Apps: Exclude Klaviyo, Mailchimp
Contact: Email available

For CRO Consultants:

Traffic: 25,000+ monthly
Sales: $250k-$1M yearly
Products: 501-2500
Technology: Meta Pixel + GA4
Vertical: Fashion & Apparel

For App Developers:

Sales: $250k-$5M yearly
Apps: Include competitor category
Apps: Exclude your category
Products: 251-1000
Technology: Meta Pixel

🧠 Try It Yourself: Apply these exact filters in StoreCensus and identify 5 stores missing a key app your service solves.

Understanding technology combinations helps you profile prospects and tailor your outreach approach.

Growth-Focused Stores:

• Already sophisticated marketers
• Pitch advanced features, not basics
• Focus on ROI and attribution
• Higher budget, longer sales cycle

DIY Builders:

• Price-sensitive but growth-minded
• Emphasize ease of use and quick wins
• Provide educational content
• Good for entry-level services

Premium Brands:

• Enterprise-level decision making
• Need detailed proposals and case studies
• Focus on integration and scalability
• Highest deal values

Missed Opportunity:

• Fastest to close
• Clear value proposition
• Educational approach works well
• Volume play with lower deal sizes

Based on our analysis of 2M+ stores, these verticals show the strongest growth and opportunity signals.

Beauty & Skincare (29% growth):

• High repeat purchase rates make email marketing extremely valuable
• TikTok Pixel adoption up 60% in this vertical
• Average customer lifetime value: $180

Pet Products (34% growth):

• Subscription model adoption accelerating
• Highest email open rates (31% average)
• Strong seasonal patterns for targeting

Health & Wellness (22% growth):

• Compliance requirements create service opportunities
• High average order values ($85+)
• Long customer research cycles favor nurture campaigns

Not every Shopify store is worth pursuing. Use these criteria to focus on the best opportunities.

✅ Positive Signals:

1. Meta Pixel installed - Proven marketing investment
2. 10k+ monthly traffic - Active customer base
3. Frequent site updates - Engaged ownership
4. Premium theme - Professional presentation
5. 3+ paid apps - Willing to invest in tools

⚠️ Red Flags:

1. No analytics tracking - Lack of data-driven approach
2. Under 20 products - Limited inventory depth
3. Outdated theme - Neglected store maintenance

The biggest mistake in Shopify prospecting is targeting only large stores. Momentum beats size every time.

A $200k/year store growing 50% annually is a better prospect than a $2M/year store that's stagnant. Look for these momentum indicators:

• Recent app installations
• Increasing product catalog
• New marketing pixels added
• Fresh content and blog posts
• Social media activity growth

Before diving into templates, understand what makes prospects respond. People don't reply to pitches—they respond to insights.

What Works:

• Insightful brevity - Show you understand their business in 2-3 sentences
• Relevant observations - Reference specific data about their store
• Clear value proposition - One specific outcome you can deliver
• Easy next step - Simple yes/no question or quick call

What Doesn't Work:

• Generic templates with name tokens
• Long explanations of your service
• Multiple asks in one email
• Pushy or desperate tone

1. Over-explaining your service - They don't care about you, they care about their results
2. Fake personalization - "Hi [FIRST_NAME]" isn't personalization
3. Too many follow-ups - 3-4 max, then move on
4. No clear CTA - Always end with a specific, easy action

These templates are based on analyzing 10,000+ successful outreach campaigns from StoreCensus users.

Subject:Quick question about [Store Name]'s email strategy

Performance: 32% open rate, 14% response rate

Hi [First Name],

Been analyzing successful stores in [vertical] - [Store Name]'s 
product line looks impressive.

Quick question: what percentage of your revenue comes from 
repeat customers?

Most stores your size ($[revenue range] yearly) are missing 
30-40% of potential revenue because they don't have proper 
email automation set up.

[Similar store] was in the same situation. We implemented 
email flows and they went from $[X] to $[Y] monthly revenue 
in 4 months.

Worth a 15-minute call to show you their exact setup?

Best,
[Your Name]

P.S. Love the [specific product] - great positioning for 
[season/trend].

Subject:Better alternative to [Current App] for [Store Name]

Performance: 29% open rate, 16% response rate

Hi [First Name],

Noticed [Store] is using [current app] for [function]. You're 
getting good results, but there's a much better way to 
[specific benefit].

The app you're using is great for basic [function], but stores 
your size ($[revenue range]) usually need [advanced feature] 
to really scale their [specific area].

[Competitor store] made the switch and saw [specific improvement] 
in just [timeframe].

Want to see a 5-minute demo of how they set it up?

Best,
[Your Name]

Subject:[Store Name] missing [specific technology]?

Performance: 27% open rate, 12% response rate

Hi [First Name],

Quick question about [Store Name] - are you capturing email 
addresses from your [traffic source] traffic?

I noticed you're getting [X] monthly visitors but don't see 
email capture set up. That's potentially $[calculated amount] 
in missed monthly revenue.

[Similar store] was in the same situation. Added email capture 
and automation, now generates $[amount] monthly from email alone.

Worth a quick call to show you their setup?

Best,
[Your Name]

Performance: 41% response rate (LinkedIn)

Hey [Name] — saw [Store] is using [tool]. Curious if you're 
exploring [goal]?

We helped [similar store] increase [result] with [solution].

Happy to share what worked if you're open to ideas.

Getting the data is just the first step. Here's how to turn your exports into actual conversations.

Why Email Verification Matters:

• Reduces bounce rates from 15-20% to under 2%
• Protects your sender reputation
• Improves deliverability rates
• Saves money on email sending costs

Recommended Email Verification Tools:

Emailable.com Workflow:

1. Export your StoreCensus list as CSV
2. Upload to Emailable.com bulk verifier
3. Download cleaned list (removes invalid, risky, unknown emails)
4. Import clean list to your email sending platform

Expected Results:

• Before verification: 1,000 emails, 15% bounce rate
• After verification: 850 valid emails, <2% bounce rate

Recommended Cold Email Tools:

Domain Setup (Critical):

✅ Set up SPF record
✅ Configure DKIM signing
✅ Add DMARC policy
✅ Use dedicated sending domain
✅ Warm up new domains gradually

Sending Volume Guidelines:

• New domain: Start with 5-10 emails/day
• Week 2: Increase to 20-30 emails/day
• Week 3: Scale to 50-75 emails/day
• Month 2+: Up to 100-150 emails/day per domain

1. A/B Test Email Openers: Test different first lines weekly
2. Adjust Send Times: Test morning vs. afternoon sends by vertical
3. Analyze Response Sentiment: Track positive vs. negative replies

✅ Review open rates by subject line
✅ Test different send times
✅ A/B test email templates
✅ Monitor bounce rates
✅ Track response sentiment
✅ Update personalization data
✅ Refine target segments

Background: Email marketing agency targeting beauty brands without advanced email automation.

StoreCensus Filters Used:

✅ Vertical: Beauty & Personal Care
✅ Estimated Sales: $100k-$500k yearly
✅ Product Count: 101-500 products
✅ Technology: Meta Pixel (proven marketing budget)
❌ Apps Filter: Exclude Klaviyo, Mailchimp
✅ Contact Info: Founder/preferred email available

Results:

Strategy: Filtered $250k–$1M revenue, Food & Beverage, no ReCharge.

Results: 800 stores → 12 demos → 4 installs → $1.8k MRR added.

Key Takeaway: Focus on stores already selling consumable products—they understand subscription value immediately.

Strategy: Filtered Fashion stores with 25k+ traffic and Meta Pixel.

Results: 200 prospects → 40 replies → 8 clients closed in 45 days.

Key Takeaway: High-traffic stores with ads are perfect for conversion optimization—they have the volume to see results quickly.

Use StoreCensus's Vertical filter to target specific industries like Beauty & Personal Care, Fashion & Apparel, or Pet Products. You can also use Google search operators like site:myshopify.com "your niche" for free research.

StoreCensus is the most comprehensive Shopify database with 2M+ stores, including revenue estimates, traffic data, technology tracking, and verified contact information. Try our Shopify store checker for free.

Use the Technology filter in StoreCensus to find stores with "Meta Pixel" installed. This indicates they're running Facebook ads and have proven marketing budgets. Read our complete guide: How to Find Shopify Stores Using Facebook Ads.

StoreCensus provides verified email addresses for store owners, including founder/preferred emails, partnerships contacts, and general business emails. We also track social media profiles for additional outreach channels.

Focus on: Estimated Sales ($100k-$500k), Technology (Meta Pixel), Product Count (101-1000), and exclude competitors in your service category. Check our top Shopify stores 2025 for inspiration.

Nick Dooley is the founder of StoreCensus, a Shopify data intelligence platform helping agencies and app developers target over 2M stores worldwide. He has helped 100+ ecommerce professionals optimize prospecting and grow recurring revenue through data-driven targeting strategies.

All data comes from StoreCensus's live Shopify index, which tracks over 2M stores with revenue, traffic, app, and technology enrichment updated weekly. Our analysis includes:

• Revenue estimation models based on traffic and conversion patterns
• Technology detection through automated site crawling
• App usage tracking via Shopify apps directory monitoring
• Contact information verification through multiple data sources
• Theme detection via our Shopify theme detector

1. Focus on momentum over size - Growing $200k stores beat stagnant $2M stores
2. Use technology clusters to understand prospect sophistication levels
3. Target the $100k-$500k range for optimal budget and decision speed
4. Meta Pixel = proven marketing budget - prioritize these stores
5. Product count indicates maturity - 101-1000 products is the sweet spot

1. Build your ICP first before touching any filters
2. Verify all emails to protect deliverability and save costs
3. Personalize with store data - revenue, traffic, specific products
4. Follow up 3-4 times with different angles and value
5. Track everything and optimize based on actual performance

1. Target competitor users with clear upgrade paths
2. Focus on feature gaps rather than complete replacements
3. Use technology clusters to identify sophisticated prospects
4. Offer migration assistance to reduce switching friction
5. Provide specific outcomes tied to their current setup

• How to Find Shopify Stores Using Facebook Ads

Ready to find your ideal Shopify prospects? StoreCensus provides all the filters and data mentioned in this guide. From revenue ranges ($50k-$5M yearly) to technology tracking (Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel) to verified contact information—everything you need to build a profitable prospecting system.

🚀 Start finding qualified prospects today → Explore StoreCensus Plans