The best Shopify themes for increasing sales
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If you’re thinking about launching a Shopify store or redesigning your existing one, choosing the right theme is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Your theme controls how your store looks, but more importantly it controls how your store works. Navigation, product page layout, upsells, quick view buttons, cart features and filtering all come from your theme.
A good theme helps customers find products quickly and move smoothly from browsing to checkout. A poor theme can make even great products harder to buy.
Before we dive into the themes I recommend, there are a few important things to understand about how Shopify themes work and what actually matters when choosing one.
Why using a premium Shopify theme is often worth it
When you first start a Shopify store it can be tempting to stick with a free theme or choose the cheapest option you can find. Free themes can absolutely work (and Shopify has released some excellent new ones recently which I’ll mention later), but premium themes often come with far more built-in functionality designed to increase sales.
For example, many premium themes include:
Advanced product filtering
Mega menus for large catalogues
Built-in upsell sections and features
Quick view product buttons
Promotional banners and collection highlights
Flexible layouts to make your website feel more on-brand for your business
These are the types of features that improve the shopping experience and increase average order value.
If you’re building a store that you want to grow long term, starting with a strong theme can save a lot of work later.
If you haven’t started your store yet, you can try Shopify for £1 per month here:
Why I only recommend themes from the Shopify theme store
All of the themes I recommend come from the official Shopify theme store.
That’s because themes in the Shopify store are:
thoroughly tested
regularly updated
designed to work with Shopify’s features
supported by experienced developers
When Shopify releases new platform updates, these themes are also updated to stay compatible, meaning that you’re not going to be left with an unusable website. Your theme sits at the core of your store, so you want something stable and well supported.
A quick caveat before we start
There are currently over 1,000 themes available in the Shopify theme store, so it’s impossible for any designer to have tested every single one. The themes below are simply the ones I’ve worked with or explored that tick all the right boxes when it comes to sales features, flexibility and overall design quality.
There are certainly other good themes out there, but these are consistently strong options.
Tips for choosing the right Shopify theme
One of the biggest mistakes I see founders make is choosing a theme based purely on how the demo looks.
The demo store is styled with professional photography, carefully written copy and well structured collections. That doesn’t necessarily reflect how your store will look when you first install the theme.
Instead, focus on the features and flexibility of the theme.
Ask yourself things like:
Does it support mega menus?
Can I add upsells on product pages?
Are quick view buttons available?
Does it support strong filtering for collections?
Are there good promotional sections for the homepage?
You’d be surprised how much the look and feel of the store can be transformed through your branding, photography and layout choices. What matters far more is whether the theme gives you the tools to create a smooth shopping experience
Key features to look for in a Shopify theme
When browsing the Shopify theme store, you can use filters to find themes with the features you need.
Some of the features I often recommend looking for include:
Mega menus for organising larger catalogues
Quick view product buttons
Product recommendations and upsells
Newsletter pop-ups
Advanced filtering options
Flexible homepage sections
These features help guide customers through your store and make it easier for them to discover products.
The smoother the browsing experience, the more likely someone is to buy.
Be cautious with third-party Shopify themes
You’ll also find Shopify themes sold outside the official theme store on places like Etsy or independent websites.
Some of these can be excellent. For example, Out of the Sandbox is a well-known theme developer that produces high quality themes.
However, many third-party themes are poorly built. The worst Shopify themes I’ve ever seen have all been third-party themes purchased outside the theme store. They often include messy code, limited support and features that don’t integrate properly with Shopify.
A common red flag is when the theme relies heavily on text inside images rather than editable text sections. If you’re creating text in Canva and uploading it as an image just to display headings or product information, that’s a huge SEO and accessibility issue. Search engines can’t read text inside images properly, and screen readers used by visually impaired visitors can’t access it either.
While some of these themes may look cheaper upfront, you’re often better off using a free Shopify theme than installing a poorly built third-party one.
Shopify themes I recommend
Below are some Shopify themes that consistently perform well and include strong features for growing stores.
Broadcast
Broadcast is a powerful theme designed for brands with strong visual storytelling. It works particularly well for lifestyle, fashion and product brands that want to highlight photography and brand identity alongside their products.
Key features include:
flexible homepage sections for storytelling
strong collection page layouts
built-in promotional sections
product upsells and recommendations
excellent mobile design
It’s a great option if your brand relies heavily on imagery and you want a store that feels editorial and immersive.
Prestige
Prestige is one of the most popular premium Shopify themes and is particularly well suited to higher-end or boutique brands.
It has a clean, elegant layout that works beautifully for fashion, beauty and luxury product brands.
Key features include:
refined product page layouts
advanced collection filtering
promotional tiles for collections
strong storytelling sections
elegant typography and layout options
If you want your store to feel polished and premium, Prestige is often a great choice.
Serenity
Serenity is a modern theme designed with flexibility in mind. It includes a wide range of layout options that allow you to structure your homepage and product pages in different ways depending on your brand.
Features include:
flexible section layouts
built-in promotional areas
strong product page structure
quick view product functionality
It’s a good option for brands that want a modern look with plenty of layout control.
Nimbus (Esselle preset)
Nimbus is designed for stores with larger catalogues or brands that want more advanced merchandising options. It includes strong navigation tools and filtering features that help customers browse more efficiently.
Key features include:
advanced filtering options
flexible collection layouts
product comparison features
upsell and recommendation sections
Horizon and Atelier (free themes)
If you’re on a tighter budget, Shopify has recently released a new generation of free Horizon themes, including a elegantly styled version called the Atelier theme.
These themes are so much more powerful than earlier free Shopify themes.
One of the biggest advantages is the block-based flexibility they offer. Instead of being locked into rigid layouts, you can rearrange sections and blocks much more freely to create different page structures.
Benefits include:
improved section flexibility
better layout control
modern design components
strong performance and speed
For many new stores, these themes provide an excellent starting point without the cost of a premium theme.
Shapes (Aura preset)
Shapes is a visually playful theme that works well for creative product brands. It offers a slightly more distinctive aesthetic while still maintaining strong ecommerce functionality.
Features include:
dynamic layout options
strong product presentation
promotional banners and highlights
flexible homepage sections
If your brand has a bold visual identity, this theme can help reinforce that personality.
Symmetry/ salt-yard
Symmetry is one of the most versatile Shopify themes available and works well for stores of many different sizes. It’s particularly strong for stores with growing catalogues and multiple collections.
Features include:
powerful mega menu support
advanced filtering
quick view product options
promotional collection sections
It’s a reliable theme that balances flexibility with ease of use.
Forest
Forest is a newer Shopify theme designed with modern ecommerce features built in. It provides a strong balance between visual storytelling and practical sales features.
Features include:
promotional homepage layouts
product recommendation sections
flexible collection displays
clean product page design
It’s a good option for brands looking for a modern, well structured theme.
The theme is just the starting point
Choosing the right theme is important, but it’s only the beginning.
Your photography, product pages, navigation and overall store structure will ultimately have a much bigger impact on how well your Shopify store converts.
The best themes simply give you the tools to create a great shopping experience.
If you’re planning a Shopify store
If you’re launching or redesigning a Shopify store and want to make sure your theme, layout and customer journey are set up properly, I can help. I design strategic Shopify websites for product brands who want their store to feel refined, easy to shop and built to support long-term growth.
You can explore my Shopify website design services or start your Shopify store here for £1 per month:
FAQs
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There isn’t a single “best” theme, but themes that include strong navigation, product upsells, flexible layouts and advanced filtering tend to perform well.
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They’re a great option if you just don't have any budget for a website, especially the newer Horizon themes released by Shopify. They offer far more flexibility than earlier free themes and can work very well for many stores.
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It’s best to be cautious. Some third-party themes are well built, but many are poorly coded and lack proper support. Themes from the official Shopify theme store are usually the safest option.
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Yes, but changing themes later often requires redesigning parts of your store, so it’s worth choosing carefully from the start.
