Note: This article covers SHOPLINE, an e-commerce platform used across Asia. Pricing shown is for the Japanese market (in yen) via SHOPLINE Japan; plans and pricing may differ in other regions.
SHOPLINE is used by more than 600,000 shops worldwide. You may have heard that it's strong for cross-border e-commerce and be curious about it, but perhaps you haven't been able to commit to adopting it because you don't know the details.
In this article, we'll go into detail about SHOPLINE's appeal, the features it offers, and its pricing plans. We'll also introduce the types of companies for which it's recommended, along with real-world case studies, so be sure to read through to the end.
What Is SHOPLINE?
SHOPLINE is an e-commerce site-building platform used by brands across more than 600,000 stores worldwide. Anyone can easily build an e-commerce site with no-code tools.
It supports multiple languages and currencies and is optimized for the Asian region, making it especially strong for cross-border e-commerce in Asian markets.
It comes standard with a wide range of features, from the bare essentials needed to build an e-commerce site to social commerce features and features that help streamline operations.
Because usage fees are low, it's also easy for small businesses to use.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating Company | SHOPLINE Japan Inc. |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Number of shops using it | 600,000+ |
| Payment methods | Credit card, convenience store payment, deferred (pay-later) payment, PayPay, Merpay, bank transfer, cash on delivery |
The Appeal of SHOPLINE
SHOPLINE has four main strengths:
- Particularly strong for cross-border e-commerce in Asian markets
- You can easily build an e-commerce site with AI and no-code tools
- You can drive sales through live streaming
- It integrates with POS systems
Let's go through each of these in detail.
Particularly Strong for Cross-Border E-Commerce in Asian Markets
Its biggest strength is that it excels at cross-border e-commerce in Asian markets.
It supports more than 30 languages, centered on the Asian region, including Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. It also supports over 100 currencies, and can automatically switch the displayed language and currency to match each region.
This makes it an extremely attractive platform for anyone looking to pursue cross-border e-commerce in Asian markets.
You Can Easily Build an E-Commerce Site with AI and No-Code Tools
With SHOPLINE, you can create a professional-quality e-commerce site using AI and no-code tools.
There are more than 20 free, industry-specific themes available — for apparel, home appliances, lifestyle goods, and more — which you can customize simply by dragging and dropping.
There's also a feature where, once you register three or more products for sale, AI will build the optimal e-commerce site for you. This means you can easily build a site that reflects your brand image even without any site-building knowledge.
You Can Drive Sales Through Live Streaming
Another appealing aspect of SHOPLINE is that you can drive sales using social media live-streaming features.
It integrates with multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram, letting you build a path from product introduction to purchase during a live stream.
You can also run special sales by, for example, sending customers discount codes and purchase URLs. This can be expected to significantly boost sales.
By making use of SHOPLINE, you can achieve effective live selling.
It Integrates with POS Systems
SHOPLINE also offers a POS feature, allowing you to smoothly sync data between your online store and physical store. Because inventory across all sales channels is always visible, you won't miss out on sales opportunities.
With multi-faceted analytics features such as retail sales data, sales reports by discount, and inventory reports, it's also easier to roll out effective measures for achieving your goals.
In addition, SHOPLINE POS supports a wide range of payment methods beyond cash, including electronic payments, credit cards, and other local payment services. This means you can smoothly accommodate overseas customers in regions where cashless payments are becoming more common.
Challenges with SHOPLINE
One major challenge with SHOPLINE is that it still has relatively few users, making it hard to gather detailed information. Unlike Shopify or STORES, there aren't many sites online that publish detailed information about its features, functionality, and case studies.
That said, the number of domestic companies using SHOPLINE is on the rise, so gathering information should gradually become easier going forward.
Another challenge is that it supports fewer languages and currencies compared to services like Shopify, which is known for its strength in cross-border e-commerce. That said, SHOPLINE's support for payment methods and local services in Asian markets is arguably stronger than that of other services. As such, for companies considering cross-border e-commerce within Asia, SHOPLINE as it currently stands shouldn't pose a major problem.
List of Features Available on SHOPLINE
The features that come standard with SHOPLINE are as follows.
The blog article below introduces each of SHOPLINE's features in detail. Please use it as a reference.
| Feature category | Main features |
|---|---|
| Store customization features | Industry-specific design template themes AI auto-generation Apps for extending functionality |
| Payment features | PCI-DSS compliant SHOPLINE Payments Supports multiple payment methods |
| SHOPLINE POS features | Sync inventory information between physical stores and the online store Inventory transfers between physical stores and the online store Provides multiple payment options |
| Product management / inventory management features | Unlimited product registration Centralized inventory management across multiple sales channels Inventory alerts Changing product variants Adjusting inventory quantities |
| Customer management features | Tracking customer information and purchase history Syncing customer information across all sales channels |
| Warehouse and shipping features | Centralized management of orders from multiple sales channels Shipment tracking Shipping cost calculation Cost-effective overseas warehouse resources Efficient overseas returns process Consolidated shipping for small parcels Centralized customs clearance |
| Social commerce features | Integration with multiple social media platforms Live selling Centralized message management Live-stream dashboard |
| Marketing features | Email marketing Coupon issuance and discounts Recommendations Reviews Smart push notifications |
| Automation features | Automatically managing whether inventory is shown or hidden Automating supplier notifications for ordered items Real-time updates to customer data Automatic customer segmentation |
| Analytics features | Shop performance analysis Data reports |
SHOPLINE's Pricing Plans
The pricing plans offered by SHOPLINE are as follows.
The blog article below explains each of SHOPLINE's pricing plans and how to sign up for a plan. Please use it as a reference when choosing a pricing plan.
| Pricing Plan | Starter Plan | Essential Plan | Premium Plan | Enterprise Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee (monthly / annual billing) | 4,400 yen / 3,625 yen | 11,900 yen / 9,875 yen | 40,400 yen / 33,625 yen | Contact us |
| Service transaction fee | 2% | 0.80% | 0.40% | Contact us |
| Number of products you can register | No limit | No limit | No limit | No limit |
| Staff accounts | 5 | 10 | 100 | 500 |
| Number of online stores you can set up | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| SHOPLINE POS Pro | 11,900 yen/store | 11,900 yen/store | 11,900 yen/store | Free for up to 20 stores (11,900 yen/store for additional stores) |
| Checkout page customization | No | No | No | Yes |
| Support | Help Center | Help Center & chat | Help Center & chat | Dedicated CS & Help Center & chat |
Source: SHOPLINE official website *As of December 2024
Companies for Which Building an E-Commerce Site with SHOPLINE Is Recommended
You may be wondering whether SHOPLINE is well-suited to building and running your own e-commerce site.
So, from here, we'll introduce the characteristics of companies for which building an e-commerce site with SHOPLINE is recommended.
Companies Looking to Pursue Cross-Border E-Commerce in Asia
SHOPLINE is recommended for companies looking to pursue cross-border e-commerce in Asian markets.
SHOPLINE supports over 30 languages and more than 100 currencies, centered on Asia, and also comes with multilingual SEO features that let you design a site tailored to the characteristics of the market you're entering. This lets you build an e-commerce site that's optimal for Asian markets.
In addition, sites built with SHOPLINE can be viewed in China without a VPN. This makes it especially recommended for companies that want to build an e-commerce site aimed at China in particular, among Asian markets.
Companies Without a Professional Designer
SHOPLINE is recommended for companies that don't have a professional designer on staff.
With SHOPLINE, you can choose from more than 20 design templates and use drag-and-drop to build a site that matches your brand image.
If you register three or more products you want to sell, you can also have AI propose an optimal site design.
This means even companies without an in-house designer can easily create a professional-quality site.
Companies with a Physical Store That Want to Reach Inbound Tourists
This is also a recommended service for companies with a physical store that want to reach inbound tourists.
SHOPLINE lets you build an e-commerce site that supports multiple languages and currencies. This makes it possible to create a system where inbound tourists who visited your physical store can continue purchasing products even after returning to their home country.
You can also use SHOPLINE's advance reservation feature to build a reservation system for experience tours and similar offerings aimed at inbound tourists. This means that companies with a physical store can more easily reach inbound tourists simply by building an e-commerce site with SHOPLINE.
Case Studies of E-Commerce Sites That Adopted SHOPLINE
From here, we'll introduce real-world case studies of e-commerce sites that have adopted SHOPLINE.
The blog article below introduces SHOPLINE case studies not covered in this article. Please use it as a reference.
Camellia Vintage
Image source: Camellia
Camellia Vintage is a high-end select shop for secondhand items. It aims to let many people experience the charm and beauty found in the classic, beautiful pieces created by designers of the past.
Camellia Vintage adopted SHOPLINE, which is strong in cross-border e-commerce within Asia, in order to attract inbound customers (particularly from China) and create purchasing opportunities for them after they return home. Running its e-commerce site on SHOPLINE has resulted in an increase in visits from tourists to Japan.
Kabankobo Yamamoto
Image source: Kabankobo Yamamoto
"Kabankobo Yamamoto" is a shop mainly selling randoseru (Japanese school backpacks). As Japan's declining birthrate shrinks domestic demand for randoseru, the company noticed a growing influx of inbound customers and decided to build an e-commerce site targeted at overseas customers.
By adopting SHOPLINE, which lets you create a multilingual site with no-code tools and makes it easy to handle SEO for overseas markets, the company was able to launch its e-commerce site smoothly.
SHOPLINE's pre-order feature is also reportedly useful for advance reservations for workshops and factory tours. Since adopting SHOPLINE, the company's site has appeared in top search results within one to two months, among other signs that its e-commerce operations are progressing smoothly.
KIITASU
Image source: KIITASU
"KIITASU" is a brand committed to making products using natural materials. Adopting SHOPLINE has helped streamline its sales strategy and site improvements based on customer purchasing trends and traffic data.
Going forward, the company reportedly plans to make use of SHOPLINE's signature live-streaming feature and others to increase opportunities to connect directly with customers.
Myu
Image source: Myu
Myu is an apparel brand for women in their 30s and 40s, built around the theme of "grown-up cute." The company had been growing its business mainly through major marketplaces, but felt it wasn't able to fully convey its brand's unique world.
So, drawn by SHOPLINE's live commerce and affiliate features, the company built its e-commerce site on SHOPLINE.
In its first month of live streaming, viewer numbers far exceeded expectations, and sales reached 1.5 times the usual level. By selling live-exclusive products and running campaigns with bonus perks, the company also reportedly grew its base of live-stream fans.
Initiatives making use of a membership tier system have also helped increase repeat customers.
Adopt SHOPLINE and Start Running Your Ideal E-Commerce Site
SHOPLINE is an e-commerce site-building platform that excels at cross-border e-commerce within Asia. With support for multiple languages and currencies and multilingual SEO features, you can create an e-commerce site suited to your target region.
Site creation can be done easily with AI and no-code tools. That means you can build your ideal e-commerce site even without any site-building knowledge. It's also great that, beyond the bare essentials needed to run an e-commerce business, a wide variety of features come standard, including a live commerce feature for driving sales through live streaming and analytics features for tracking detailed customer trends.
Why not take this opportunity to adopt SHOPLINE and start running your e-commerce business?
