FisherLeadsMonthly report
The State of New Ecommerce Stores
A monthly report on newly launched ecommerce stores and business websites, everything that went live in October 2026: where they launch, what they are built on, and what they sell, from public signals the day each site appears.
Two platforms carry two thirds of everything new
Two platforms now carry more than two thirds of every new store FisherLeads tracked. Shopify leads at 36.4%, the fastest way for a founder to be selling by the afternoon. WooCommerce follows at 30.5%, a sign the open source, WordPress native route is still thriving. Everything else splits the remaining 33.1% across a long tail.
Every platform FisherLeads detects, by share of new launches in October 2026. FisherLeads tracks 30+ platforms; the full list is below.
| # | Name | New sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify | 64,277 | 36.4% |
| 2 | WooCommerce | 53,879 | 30.5% |
| 3 | Custom / other | 41,216 | 23.3% |
| 4 | WordPress | 4,535 | 2.6% |
| 5 | Wix | 3,469 | 2% |
| 6 | OpenCart | 2,152 | 1.2% |
| 7 | Squarespace | 1,690 | 1% |
| 8 | Tiendanube | 1,199 | 0.7% |
| 9 | Youcan | 718 | 0.4% |
| 10 | Shoplazza | 494 | 0.3% |
| 11 | Sazito | 342 | 0.2% |
| 12 | Godaddy | 326 | 0.2% |
| 13 | Magento | 266 | 0.2% |
| 14 | Zid | 238 | 0.1% |
| 15 | Duda | 203 | 0.1% |
| 16 | Salla | 197 | 0.1% |
| 17 | Webflow | 146 | 0.1% |
| 18 | Big Cartel | 137 | 0.1% |
| 19 | Shoptet | 129 | 0.1% |
| 20 | Jumpseller | 117 | 0.1% |
| 21 | BigCommerce | 98 | 0.1% |
| 22 | Drupal | 96 | 0.1% |
| 23 | Ecwid | 91 | 0.1% |
| 24 | PrestaShop | 66 | 0% |
| 25 | Shopware | 61 | 0% |
| 26 | Joomla | 52 | 0% |
| 27 | Framer | 45 | 0% |
| 28 | Shopline | 44 | 0% |
| 29 | Nopcommerce | 42 | 0% |
| 30 | Virtuemart | 34 | 0% |
The United States is the launch capital
New commerce is not spread evenly. The United States alone produced 39.6% of every launch FisherLeads saw in October 2026, 1.3× the next six countries combined. The United Kingdom, Germany and Canada follow, but no single market comes close to the American share.
| # | Name | New sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 69,928 | 39.6% |
| 2 | IR | 16,519 | 9.4% |
| 3 | Australia | 15,944 | 9% |
| 4 | France | 6,683 | 3.8% |
| 5 | Germany | 5,298 | 3% |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 4,903 | 2.8% |
| 7 | Spain | 4,856 | 2.8% |
| 8 | India | 4,484 | 2.5% |
| 9 | Italy | 2,976 | 1.7% |
| 10 | Brazil | 2,454 | 1.4% |
| 11 | SA | 2,326 | 1.3% |
| 12 | RU | 2,235 | 1.3% |
| 13 | Canada | 2,232 | 1.3% |
| 14 | PK | 2,032 | 1.2% |
| 15 | AE | 1,812 | 1% |
| 16 | TR | 1,619 | 0.9% |
| 17 | Poland | 1,411 | 0.8% |
| 18 | CN | 1,291 | 0.7% |
| 19 | Netherlands | 1,261 | 0.7% |
| 20 | ZA | 1,248 | 0.7% |
Apparel leads what the new stores sell
When FisherLeads can read what a store sells, one category stands out. Apparel is the runaway leader among classified stores, ahead of beauty, food and jewellery. Fashion remains the easiest thing to start selling online, and founders still reach for it first.
| # | Name | New sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apparel | 16,483 | 21.3% |
| 2 | Home decor | 4,900 | 6.3% |
| 3 | Beauty | 4,734 | 6.1% |
| 4 | Jewelry | 3,532 | 4.6% |
| 5 | Food & beverage | 3,318 | 4.3% |
| 6 | Outdoor & sports | 3,222 | 4.2% |
| 7 | Accessories | 2,940 | 3.8% |
| 8 | HVAC | 2,380 | 3.1% |
| 9 | Electronics | 2,319 | 3% |
| 10 | Plumbing | 2,042 | 2.6% |
| 11 | Roofing | 1,910 | 2.5% |
| 12 | Toys & games | 1,886 | 2.4% |
| 13 | Cleaning | 1,829 | 2.4% |
| 14 | Books & media | 1,499 | 1.9% |
| 15 | Junk Removal | 1,471 | 1.9% |
| 16 | Remodeling | 1,362 | 1.8% |
| 17 | Real Estate | 1,308 | 1.7% |
| 18 | Landscaping | 1,280 | 1.7% |
| 19 | Garden | 1,201 | 1.6% |
| 20 | Health | 1,134 | 1.5% |
The first thing new founders buy is an audience
Before a review app or a loyalty program, new stores wire up ads. Meta Ads is the single most common tool FisherLeads detects on a new site, ahead of Cash on Delivery and Google Ads. Paid acquisition, not organic patience, is how most founders plan to win their first customers.
| # | Name | New sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta Ads | 9,204 | 36.8% |
| 2 | Cash on Delivery | 6,460 | 25.8% |
| 3 | Google Ads | 3,935 | 15.7% |
| 4 | Dropshipping | 1,868 | 7.5% |
| 5 | TikTok Ads | 1,787 | 7.2% |
| 6 | Print on Demand | 1,687 | 6.8% |
| 7 | Shopify Plus | 51 | 0.2% |
The themes new Shopify stores launch on
Most new Shopify stores do not commission a custom build. Horizon and Dawn, Shopify’s own free themes, dress the majority of them. For theme and app makers, that is the canvas your product has to live on.
| # | Name | New sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horizon | 11,742 | 64.6% |
| 2 | Dawn | 3,189 | 17.5% |
| 3 | Helio | 707 | 3.9% |
| 4 | Tinker | 571 | 3.1% |
| 5 | Build Your Store Theme | 553 | 3% |
| 6 | Zendrop | 491 | 2.7% |
| 7 | Refresh | 481 | 2.6% |
| 8 | Sense | 456 | 2.5% |
What the new stores charge
Among new stores that expose a catalog, most launch at entry level prices. The cheapest product is under $30 for the majority of them, a reminder that new ecommerce still competes on affordable, impulse friendly goods, even as a fifth reach for the premium end.
| # | Name | New sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Under $15 | 10,871 | 41.1% |
| 2 | $15 to $30 | 3,391 | 12.8% |
| 3 | $30 to $60 | 2,355 | 8.9% |
| 4 | $60 to $120 | 1,587 | 6% |
| 5 | $120 and up | 8,205 | 31.1% |
What the month says
Shopify and WooCommerce are the new default.
Together they carry 66.9% of every new store and business launched this month. Everything else splits a long tail.
The United States is the launch capital.
The US produced 39.6% of all launches, 1.3× the next six countries combined.
Apparel still leads what they sell.
Among the stores FisherLeads could classify, apparel is the runaway category, ahead of beauty and food.
Frequently asked
How many new stores and businesses launched in October 2026?
FisherLeads tracked 176,534 new stores and businesses that went live in October 2026, about 8,542 a day.
Which ecommerce platform do new stores launch on most?
Shopify leads at 36.4%, followed by WooCommerce at 30.5%. Together they carry 66.9% of every new store and business in October 2026.
Which country launches the most new stores?
United States leads with 39.6% of all launches in October 2026, 1.3× the next six countries combined.
What do new stores sell most?
Apparel is the most common category among new stores FisherLeads could classify in October 2026, ahead of beauty and food.
Where does FisherLeads get this data?
FisherLeads detects newly launched stores and businesses from public signals the day each site goes live, a new domain record or the first SSL certificate issued for the domain, then verifies each is a real, live store before it enters the Index.
Methodology
The FisherLeads Index counts new stores and businesses that FisherLeads verified as real, live and newly launched, detected from public launch signals (the first SSL certificate issued for a domain and new domain records) and dated to the day a site first went live, not a later renewal. It is not a claim of every store launched worldwide. This report covers October 2026 and refreshes daily as new launches are confirmed.
Updated 2026-10-21. Every site is verified as a real, live, newly launched store or business before it enters the Index; parked domains, placeholders and recycled sites never count. Launch dates come from each site’s first public launch signal, the first SSL certificate issued for its domain or a new domain record, dated to the day it first went live and not a later renewal. Figures refresh daily as launches are confirmed.