How to find (and learn from) your Shopify store's real competitors
· 2 min read · MAALI team
Ask most store owners who their competitors are and they'll name a big brand or a marketplace. Those matter, but they're rarely who you lose a sale to. More often it's another independent store with similar products, at a similar price, aimed at the same customer.
Who counts as a competitor
A useful competitor for comparison:
- sells similar products (not just the same category),
- to similar customers (same style, budget, values), and
- at a similar price level.
A $25 store and a $250 store selling candles aren't really competing. Two $40 candle stores with a minimalist look are.
How to find them
- Search like a customer. Search for your main product the way a shopper would: "linen wrap dress", "handmade ceramic planter". Note the independent stores on the first pages, including shopping results.
- Look at who advertises. Stores running ads on searches for your products are investing in the same customers.
- Ask customers. "Where else did you look before buying from us?" is one of the most useful questions you can ask.
- Check social and marketplaces. Look at who your customers follow, and which brands show up next to yours in the same communities.
Aim for three to five close competitors. More than that becomes research for its own sake.
What to compare
Look at each store as a shopper would:
- Price: typical prices for comparable products, and whether they discount often.
- Product pages: how many photos, how detailed the descriptions are, whether they show size guides or care instructions.
- Reviews: whether they show customer reviews, and how many.
- Offers: free shipping thresholds, returns, welcome discounts.
- Email capture: whether they ask for your email, and what they offer in return.
- Content: whether they have a blog or guides, and what topics they cover.
- Positioning: how they describe themselves, and who they seem to be for.
Turn it into decisions
The goal isn't to copy anyone. It's to find where you can win:
- Where they're stronger: if every competitor shows reviews and you don't, that's a gap worth closing first.
- Where they're weaker: if no one explains sizing well, a clear fit guide can become your advantage.
- Where you're different: materials, process, values or service that no competitor can claim. Make it obvious on your site.
Write down three things to fix and one thing to emphasise, then put them on your plan.
Respect the line
Learn from competitors, but don't copy their text, photos or designs. Besides the legal risk, copied content doesn't help you rank, and customers notice.
How MAALI helps
Your free Store Brain does this for you. MAALI searches the web for independent stores selling similar products to similar customers, reads three of them, and compares prices, photos, reviews and email capture side by side, ending with a clear "where you can win" for your store. You can edit the competitors document if you'd rather compare against different stores.
Keep reading
How to set up abandoned checkout emails on Shopify, when to send them, what to say, and how to avoid training customers to wait for a discount.
How to define your store's brand voice in one page, with examples, so your product pages, emails, articles and social posts sound like the same business.
What generative engine optimization (GEO) means for a small Shopify store, how AI assistants choose which products to mention, and practical steps you can take today.
How to choose blog topics for a Shopify store that match what customers search before they buy, with examples by niche and a simple way to check each idea.