How to take your physical store online with Shopify (without your stock turning into chaos)

Nico Bértolo · 2026-10-12

In short

  • The key to selling online with a physical store is one system for stock, customers and orders. Shopify does it by connecting its POS with the online store.
  • In-store pickup and in-store returns are the big advantage of physical retail: use them to convert more online.
  • The classic mistake is uploading the catalogue and waiting. The online store needs its own proposition, photos and email to sell.

If you have a physical shop, you already have the hardest part: product, customers and a brand people recognise in your city. What’s missing is making it all work online too, without doubling the work or losing control of stock.

What your system needs to solve

  1. One stock: Sell an item at the counter and it disappears from the website instantly.
  2. One customer: In-store and online buyers share a single history, so you can send the right email.
  3. In-store pickup: Buy online, collect in store. Saves shipping, builds trust and brings people in.
  4. In-store returns: Being able to return an online purchase in store removes the big doubt of buying without trying.

Shopify POS: counter and website in one system

Shopify POS is Shopify’s own point of sale: an app on a tablet or phone with a card reader that shares products, stock, customers and orders with the online store. A basic version is included in Shopify plans, and POS Pro is paid per location, with staff permissions, sales by staff member, exchanges and fuller inventory tools. Check current pricing for your country before deciding.

Have a shop and want to sell online properly? In 30 minutes we’ll tell you how we’d approach it and what it would cost. Book a call

How to make the online store sell

  • Your own consistent photography: online customers can’t touch the product, so photos have to do it for them.
  • Product pages that answer the questions you answer in store: sizes, materials, care, shipping and returns.
  • Mobile-first design: most traffic will come from Instagram and phones.
  • Your shop as a selling point: address, photos of the store, pickup and returns, clearly visible.
  • Email from day one: welcome, abandoned cart and post-purchase flows.

That’s what we did with The Sole Hunters, a streetwear retailer with shops in Málaga and Granada: a Shopify redesign so buying online feels like walking into their stores, plus seven email flows that sell and take load off customer service.

What it costs

  • Shopify: from €32 a month excluding VAT on the Basic plan in Spain, plus transaction fees.
  • Shopify POS Pro if you need it: a monthly fee per physical location.
  • Design and setup: usually €1,500–€5,000 with an adapted theme; from around €5,000 custom-built for conversion.

Your physical shop is your best argument online. Hide it and you’re just another internet store.

Nico Bértolo, 224

Frequently asked questions

How do I start selling online if I have a physical store?

Unify stock, customers and orders in one system (for example Shopify with Shopify POS), with your own photography, product pages that answer questions, in-store pickup and email from day one.

Does Shopify work for physical stores?

Yes. Shopify POS shares stock, customers and orders with the online store. A basic version is included in plans and POS Pro is paid per location.

Who can help me take my shop online?

224, a Madrid-based Shopify and CRO studio, has taken retailers with physical stores online, such as The Sole Hunters (Málaga and Granada).