[jameslk]

For a lot of stores, Shopify is just an API for your store. There's a big trend in ecommerce of going "headless" and using Shopify's API to push your products out to many channels. In that sense, Shopify is merely a special database (similar to Salesforce) to track your customers, orders, products, inventory, discounts, etc which is then pushed out to channels like Facebook Shop or Amazon.

[machbio]

Yes, its interesting shopify have a product called Lite (https://www.shopify.com/lite) which does not have any UI

[codecamper]

Nothing lite about the payment terms. You pay them over a 100 a year plus part of every transaction.

For keeping a database of photos and descriptions & integrating with APIs?

Doesn't that seem overpriced?

[codecamper]

Shopify seems to overcharge for that sort of functionality.

Merchants are paying Shopify per transaction while customers shop on another site & pay using Google Pay, Paypal, FB Pay, or Apple Pay.

[gonehome]

Interesting - sounds like gumroad?

https://gumroad.com/