17,000+ Shopify Plus Merchants Your Competitors Aren't Targeting (And Where to Find Them)

Most Shopify app founders run ads in one market: the United States.

They’re fighting over the same Plus merchants as every other app. Cost per install keeps climbing. Merchant attention is fragmented across dozens of similar solutions. And everyone’s competing in the most saturated advertising market in the Shopify ecosystem.

Meanwhile, over 17,000 Shopify Plus merchants across Europe and Canada are getting almost no advertising from app developers.

Same quality merchants. Lower acquisition costs. Less competitive noise.

I pulled the data from Store Leads, filtered by plan type and country, then cross-referenced with EF’s English Proficiency Index and Shopify market share data. Some of this surprised me. And it should change where you run your next ad campaign.

The Numbers That Surprised Me

Germany has 4,418 Shopify Plus merchants. The UK has 4,803.

Everyone assumes the UK dominates Europe for Plus merchants. It leads, but barely.

Here’s the real number: Germany has 96,761 total Shopify stores (Store Leads). The UK has 217,497. Do the math. 4.6% of German Shopify stores are on Plus, versus 2.2% in the UK.

Germany’s Plus merchant concentration is double the UK’s.

That suggests higher quality merchants, better economics, or both. And most app founders aren’t advertising there because they assume language is a barrier. It’s not—business English proficiency in Germany is high, especially among ecommerce founders.

The Netherlands has 2,231 Plus stores and ranks #1 in the world for English proficiency according to the EF English Proficiency Index 2025. Nobody’s thinking about the Netherlands.

Your existing English-language listing and support flow will work perfectly for Dutch merchants. Plus, the Netherlands has a 24% Shopify market share (Statista). That’s significant platform adoption.

Denmark has 1,371 Plus stores. For a country of 6 million people, that’s wild density. More Plus stores than Sweden, Belgium, Ireland, and Austria.

Sweden has around a third of all online stores running on Shopify (Statista, 2023). One in three. That’s higher platform share than most European markets. Even with only 501 Plus merchants, the market’s deep commitment to Shopify makes it worth testing.

Canada deserves special mention. It has 2,731 Plus merchants and a 31% Shopify market share (Statista). Shopify is a Canadian company—it’s their home market. If you’re not running ads in Canada, you’re leaving money on the table.

Shopify Plus Merchants by Country

Why European and Canadian Plus Merchants Matter

Before diving into which markets to prioritize, let’s establish why this matters for Shopify app founders.

The US market is saturated. Every established Shopify app runs ads targeting US merchants. Meta ads, Google ads, Shopify app ads—all fighting for the same merchant attention. That drives up cost per acquisition and makes differentiation harder.

Plus merchants are your ideal customers. They’re scaling. They have budgets. They understand that tools drive revenue. A Plus merchant who needs your solution is worth 10x a starter plan merchant in lifetime value.

English proficiency eliminates language barriers. Many European countries have near-native English proficiency. Your existing App Store listing, onboarding flow, and support resources work without localization.

Lower competition means better economics. When you’re one of three apps advertising to Dutch Plus merchants instead of one of fifty advertising to US merchants, your cost per install drops and your conversion rate improves.

The opportunity isn’t theoretical. It’s backed by verified data on merchant counts, language proficiency, and platform adoption by country.

The Three-Tier Framework for Geographic Expansion

Not all markets are equal. Some have high merchant volume but intense competition. Others have great English proficiency but too few merchants to justify ad spend. A few hit the sweet spot: enough Plus merchants, strong English proficiency, and low competition.

I organized the data into three tiers based on Plus merchant volume, English proficiency (from EF’s English Proficiency Index), and how many of your competitors are already advertising there.

Tier 1 - Launch Immediately

These are the big three outside the US. High Plus merchant density. English works in all three (Germany included—most business owners speak it). Your competitors may already be here, but the volume justifies it.

United Kingdom (4,803 Plus stores)

Largest Plus merchant base in Europe
Native English speakers
Your competitors may already be here, but volume justifies it
Familiar market with strong ecommerce infrastructure

Germany (4,418 Plus stores)

Nearly matches UK for Plus merchant count
4.6% Plus concentration (double the UK’s 2.2%)
Business English proficiency is strong among ecommerce founders
Most app founders skip it due to language assumptions—wrong move

Canada (2,731 Plus stores)

31% Shopify market share (Statista)
Shopify’s home market
Native English speakers (with French Quebec as exception)
Cultural and timezone overlap with US makes support easier

If you’re running ads anywhere outside the US, start here. These three markets have proven merchant volume and enough scale to drive meaningful revenue.

Tier 2 - High Value, Low Competition

Real merchant quality. A fraction of the ad competition. Almost nobody’s targeting them.

Netherlands (2,231 Plus stores)

#1 globally for English proficiency (EF English Proficiency Index 2025)
24% Shopify market share (Statista)
Over 2,200 Plus merchants
Extremely low ad competition from app developers

The Netherlands is the standout. If your app works for English-speaking merchants, test here. Your existing listing will convert. Support won’t require localization. And you’ll face a fraction of the competition you see in the US or UK.

Denmark (1,371 Plus stores)

Remarkable merchant density for country size (6M population)
Near-native English proficiency
Strong ecommerce culture
Minimal advertising from Shopify apps

Sweden (501 Plus stores, but ~33% Shopify market share)

Around a third of all Swedish online stores use Shopify (Statista, 2023)
Exceptional English proficiency
High merchant quality
Deep platform loyalty suggests long-term retention

These markets won’t deliver US-scale volume. But for many app categories, they’ll deliver better ROI because acquisition costs are lower and merchants are less saturated with competing app ads.

Tier 3 - Test With Small Budgets

Smaller markets. Still viable. Test with small budgets once Tier 1 and 2 are working.

Belgium (640 Plus stores)
Ireland (349 Plus stores)
Austria (348 Plus stores)
Norway (193 Plus stores)

These markets have solid fundamentals—good English proficiency, established Shopify presence—but merchant volume is low enough that you shouldn’t start here. Tier 1 and 2 should already be profitable before you expand to Tier 3.

Markets to Skip

France (3,470 Plus stores)

France has strong Plus merchant volume on paper. But weak English proficiency kills conversion if your listing isn’t translated. Wait until you can localize properly.

Switzerland, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg

Complexity not worth it (Switzerland) or too small to justify dedicated ad campaigns.

Matching App Categories to Markets

Not every app should target the same markets. Match your category to where it’s most likely to convert.

High-AOV apps (upsells, bundles, checkout optimization)

Start with UK, Canada, and Germany. These markets have the highest Plus merchant volume. Plus merchants running high-ticket products need your solution. That’s where the Plus volume is.

Logistics and shipping apps

Test Nordics early. Sweden and Denmark have high Shopify adoption. Merchants care about delivery. Shipping optimization apps tend to convert well here.

Apps with English-language content output (SEO tools, review apps, email marketing)

Prioritize Netherlands, Ireland, and Scandinavia. English proficiency is near-native. Your app’s output—product descriptions, review snippets, email copy—works without modification.

Localized apps (apps that require translation to convert)

Skip non-English markets until you’ve localized your listing, onboarding, and support. France and Southern Europe will burn your budget if merchants can’t understand your value proposition.

Where to Find This Data Yourself

You don’t need a research team to pull this yourself.

Plus merchant counts: Store Leads has Shopify store counts by country, filtered by plan type. That’s where the Plus merchant numbers come from.

Shopify market share: BuiltWith tracks Shopify market share by region.

English proficiency: EF’s English Proficiency Index publishes annual rankings. It’s free and updates every year.

Ad competition: Check in Google Ads or Meta Ads Manager by switching your target location. See what other apps are advertising there. In most European markets, you’ll find far fewer Shopify app ads than in the US.

None of this is hidden.

Why Most App Founders Miss This Opportunity

Geographic expansion sounds complicated. Multiple currencies. Different time zones. Unfamiliar merchant behavior. Concerns about language barriers.

So founders stick with what they know: the US market. They keep increasing ad spend to fight over the same saturated merchant pool. Cost per acquisition climbs. Conversion rates stagnate.

But the complexity is overstated. If you’re targeting Plus merchants in English-proficient countries:

Currency doesn’t matter. Shopify handles it. You get paid the same way.
Time zones don’t matter. Your app works 24/7. Email support handles async communication fine.
Merchant behavior is similar. Plus merchants in Germany evaluate apps the same way Plus merchants in the US do. They read reviews. They compare features. They care about ROI.
Language barriers are minimal. Business English proficiency in Northern Europe is excellent. Your existing listing converts.

The real barrier isn’t operational complexity. It’s assumption. Founders assume international expansion is hard, so they never test it.

Meanwhile, 17,000+ Plus merchants across Europe and Canada are waiting for someone to show them a solution to their problem.

The Real Advantage: Lower Competition, Same Quality Merchants

Here’s what changes when you run ads outside the US.

Your cost per install drops. Fewer apps competing for the same merchant attention means lower CPMs and better click-through rates.

Your listing stands out. When a German Plus merchant searches for a solution in your category and sees three relevant apps instead of thirty, your positioning matters more. You’re not fighting to be noticed—you’re explaining why you’re the right choice.

Merchants are less saturated. US Plus merchants see Shopify app ads constantly. They’ve installed and uninstalled dozens of apps. They’re skeptical and hard to convert. European and Canadian merchants in less-advertised markets are earlier in their evaluation journey. They’re more receptive.

Retention can be higher. Merchants who choose your app because it clearly solves their problem (rather than because they saw an ad one time too many) tend to stick around longer. Lower churn improves lifetime value.

How to Test These Markets

If you’re already running profitable ads in the US, here’s how to expand geographically without blowing up your budget.

Start with Tier 1 (UK, Germany, Canada)

Run the same ad creative you’re using in the US. Don’t overthink localization yet. Test whether your existing messaging converts in these markets.

Start with a small budget—10-20% of your US ad spend. Monitor cost per install and conversion rate. If economics are comparable or better, scale.

Test Tier 2 (Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden)

Once Tier 1 is working, test one Tier 2 market with a smaller budget. Netherlands is the safest bet due to merchant volume and English proficiency.

Watch for conversion rate differences. If your listing converts as well (or better) in Netherlands as it does in the US, you’ve found a low-competition acquisition channel.

Monitor merchant quality, not just volume

Track retention, support ticket volume, and lifetime value by country. If Netherlands merchants have higher LTV than US merchants, that changes your acquisition budget allocation.

Some markets will surprise you. Others won’t convert as expected. Adjust based on data, not assumptions.

Expand to Tier 3 only after Tier 1 and 2 are profitable

Don’t spread your budget too thin. Belgium, Ireland, Austria, and Norway are worth testing eventually, but only once you’ve validated that geographic expansion works for your app category.

The Bottom Line

If you’re only running ads in the US, you’re competing with everyone.

Cost per install keeps climbing. The merchants you’re reaching have seen dozens of other apps this week that do something similar.

Europe and Canada? Most of your competitors aren’t there yet.

Same quality merchants. Lower cost. Less noise.

Sources:

Plus merchant counts: Store Leads
English proficiency: EF EPI 2025
Shopify market share by country: Statista, BuiltWith