OpenStore Boost aims to grow these Shopify businesses

Cindy Hao

Oct 17, 2023

Today, we’re announcing the Shopify businesses in the OpenStore Boost fall cohort:

• SortJoy, which was founded by friends Stefani Herr and Alexa Cohn, is a storage company that aims to “create a more beautiful, functional, sustainable bin for the incredibly popular cube shelving units you can buy at Ikea or Target.” Stefani and Alexa “believe that with some expertise and mentorship, SortJoy could reach huge new audiences with an even stronger advertising approach.” 

• Jerusalem Sandals makes handcrafted, natural leather sandals. Kfir Matalon, who is based in Los Angeles, California, was inspired to start his own sandal line after a visit to his home country of Israel with his wife in 2007. Kfir works with a Palestinian family to manufacture the sandals. By joining the fall cohort, Kfir hopes to “integrate OpenStore's resources for [Jerusalem Sandals’] sustainable growth, evolution, and enhanced customer engagement.” 

We launched OpenStore Boost in August to find promising and small Shopify businesses—specifically those with between $50k and $500k in net sales—and give them exclusive access to the same tools we use to grow our brands. 

All companies that qualified for OpenStore Boost received a free iOS app for their business, just for applying, to help grow their brands. We’ve built apps for many of the brands in our portfolio, and we’ve seen how having an app can be a game-changer by driving customer loyalty and retention. 

What’s next for the fall cohort

For the fall cohort, our pricing team examined the information that applicants submitted, including the business’ financials and past advertising performance. We’ve chosen businesses that we believe have the best chance to grow with a boost from our expertise in running nearly 50 Shopify brands and our suite of e-commerce tools. 

During the 10-week program, accepted businesses will receive new ad creatives from OpenStore. We’ll also assess their marketing strategy and make suggestions for optimizing their ad spend. At the end of the program, the companies in the cohort will get to keep the creatives. All of the companies will also receive an insights report from our team that will highlight growth opportunities for them. 

Ultimately, the goal of the fall cohort is for these selected brands to qualify for an OpenStore offer. At the end of 10 weeks, OpenStore may extend a proposal to acquire the business or run it for a year, giving the owners time and money to explore something new. 

Stay tuned for more from OpenStore Boost

If you’re interested in OpenStore Boost, submit your information here to receive updates when we open applications again. 

In the meantime, you can find out if your business qualifies for OpenStore Drive, a program that allows OpenStore to manage your business for a year, while you receive guaranteed monthly payments. You can also learn about selling your business here.  

And if you’re interested in learning more about the e-commerce industry and OpenStore, sign up for OpenStore Live, a celebration of entrepreneurship and a deep dive into the secrets behind highly successful e-commerce brands.

Cindy Hao, Head of Pricing Valuation