In this article
Key takeaways
- Perfumes are the first niche (11% of Shopify store ads), then skincare (10%), health (8%) and fashion (7%).
- Shopify takes 14% of perfume ads in the Gulf and 12% of skincare ads, against only 4% of electronics.
- Video is less common on Shopify (56% against 69% across the Gulf), and that holds in every one of the twelve niches.
- Cash on delivery is about half the Gulf average (8% against 16%); home and furniture is the only exception.
The niches ranked on Shopify
| Niche | Ads on Shopify | Advertiser pages | Shopify's share of the niche's Gulf ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfumes and incense | 1,715 | 298 | 14% |
| Skincare | 1,471 | 255 | 12% |
| Health and supplements | 1,143 | 218 | 8% |
| Fashion and shoes | 1,122 | 273 | 6% |
| Food, coffee and dates | 957 | 199 | 10% |
| Hair care | 948 | 226 | 5% |
| Watches and accessories | 802 | 205 | 5% |
| Electronics | 727 | 212 | 4% |
The last column shows where Shopify is strong: perfumes and abayas (14% each), skincare and food. In electronics, watches and hair care, selling over WhatsApp without a store comes ahead of Shopify (13% of electronics ads against 4%). One ad can fall in more than one niche.
Perfumes: Shopify's first niche
1,715 ads from 298 advertiser pages. The UAE first (37%), then Kuwait (29%), with Saudi Arabia after them (18%) because Saudi perfume stores lean towards Salla.
Against perfume ads across the Gulf: less video (59% against 75%), fewer discounts (32% against 49%) and less cash on delivery (6% against 14%). A perfume store on Shopify sells its brand, not its offer. The median price is SAR 200, from only 86 ads stating a price. The whole perfume market: Perfume ads.
Skincare: longer copy and free delivery
1,471 ads from 255 pages. What sets them apart on Shopify:
- Longer copy than the rest of Shopify: a median of 59 words against 39 for all Shopify ads. A skin product needs explaining: the ingredient, the result, how to use it.
- More free delivery than the niche average: 16% against 12%, and far less cash on delivery (7% against 20%).
- The "Get offer" button on 10%, higher than perfumes, health or fashion on Shopify.
The whole skincare market: Skincare ads.
Health, fashion, food, hair and kids
- Health and supplements: a discount in 41% of the ads, "Order now" on 36%.
- Fashion: "Shop now" on 74%, free delivery in 20%.
- Food, coffee and dates: "Order now" on 42% of Shopify ads against 19% of the niche's Gulf ads: a repeat order, not a browse.
- Hair care: instalments in 13%, far above the Shopify average (4%), with a median stated price of SAR 500 (from 63 ads showing a price).
- Kids and toys: a gift in 20% of the ads, against 7% for Shopify as a whole.
Video and cash on delivery: Shopify against the Gulf average
| Niche | Video on Shopify | Video in the Gulf | COD on Shopify | COD in the Gulf |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All niches | 56% | 69% | 8% | 16% |
| Perfumes | 59% | 75% | 6% | 14% |
| Skincare | 62% | 78% | 7% | 20% |
| Health | 53% | 80% | 9% | 29% |
| Fashion | 52% | 86% | 8% | 27% |
| Watches | 49% | 87% | 4% | 43% |
| Electronics | 61% | 83% | 18% | 36% |
| Home and furniture | 59% | 78% | 18% | 16% |
In every niche video is less common on Shopify than the Gulf average, and cash on delivery is lower in every niche except home and furniture. The clearest reason is catalogue ads: 22% of Shopify ads against 9% across the Gulf, product images Meta pulls from the store. The second is that a Shopify store sells with online payment, while cash on delivery is the weapon of dropshipping and WhatsApp sellers.
How to use these numbers
- Pick your niche and look at Shopify's share of it: in perfumes and skincare you will compete with many Shopify stores; in electronics, with WhatsApp and cash on delivery.
- In GccFY pick "Shopify" and the niche word and sort by longest running: the products whose ads last for weeks.
- Open the store page behind each ad, then study the store itself with the public methods: Spy on a Shopify store, and its best-selling products: A Shopify store's best sellers.
Remember these are ad numbers, not sales: many ads in a niche mean competition and spend, and each store's sales stay private to its owner.
