Shopify theme or custom storefront?
Choose the smallest store change that supports the buying experience you need.
A different-looking Shopify store does not automatically need a replacement platform. Start by describing what customers need to do and where the current experience gets in the way.
Start with the existing theme
Shopify’s theme editor can change settings and rearrange content. Theme code can support changes beyond those settings. First check whether the product story, imagery, layout and buying controls can be improved within that foundation.
- List the product pages, variants, size guidance and buying states needed.
- Identify apps and integrations the business relies on.
- Agree which content the team must be able to edit after handover.
Give a custom storefront a specific job
A headless store separates the customer-facing storefront from Shopify’s commerce backend. Shopify advises considering it when the required experience cannot be achieved with its themes, apps and sales channels, and accounting for the additional cost and maintenance.
The decision needs an actual requirement, a maintenance owner and an agreed budget. A visual reference alone does not settle the architecture.
Agree what the quote covers
Product setup, catalogue size, cart, checkout, shipping, subscriptions and integrations need an explicit scope. FloSumo’s £3,000 website foundation is not an automatic full-store quotation. Store work is scoped around its requirements.
Bring your current store and a short list of buying problems. Discovery is £75 for one hour with Sam and a short written next step within two working days. A clear brief can go straight to a project scope.