Shopify Empire Theme: Ultimate Option For High-volume Stores

Ready to transform your Shopify store into a high-converting, customer-centric powerhouse? The Empire theme is your secret weapon, designed to elevate your brand, showcase your products, and create a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more. 

If you're seeking a theme that combines stunning aesthetics with powerful functionality, then this in-depth look at the Empire theme is a must-read for any ambitious Shopify merchant.

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What is the Empire Theme?

Shopify Empire Theme is a premium Shopify theme designed to help Shopify retailers create a modern, professional, and Amazon-style look for their ecommerce stores.

The theme comes equipped with various features that simplify the process of setting up and managing a website, including a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, customizable page layouts, and the ability to translate to multiple languages.

The Empire theme's popularity stems from its ability to combine a visually stunning, modern design with powerful e-commerce features, making it a top choice for brands seeking a premium and high-converting online store.

Pricing

The Shopify theme Empire has a one-time payment of 340 USD. Once purchased, the theme grants lifetime access, all future updates, and support from the developers.

It also comes with an Unlimited free trial, allowing you to fully explore and evaluate the theme to see if it meets your requirements and expectations before making a financial commitment. You only need to pay for the theme when you decide to publish it.

Compared to free themes, it's definitely a bigger investment, but it's still competitively priced compared to other premium themes offering similar advanced features and design flexibility, which can range from $200 to $500.

User Reviews and Testimonials

So far, the Empire Theme Shopify has received 414 reviews on the Shopify marketplace, with a favorable rating of 79%. Here’s what they think about the theme: Among the 414 reviews, up to 329 are positive, which illustrates the quality of the theme to users.

On the positive side:

• Many customers have praised Pixel Union’s great support and top-notch documentation.
• Users absolutely love the Empire theme for its professional look and feel, which they find easy to customize and modify to suit their brands.
• The theme’s robust features have also been well-received.
• Customers appreciate the built-in marketing tools, which have helped to drive sales and improve the overall customer experience.

On the negative side:

• Some customers experienced slow loading speeds while using the theme, which impacted their overall experience.
• While the support team was generally helpful, some customers experienced longer response times and delays in resolving tech issues than expected.

Here are some of the latest reviews recorded on the Shopify theme marketplace about the Empire theme: 

Theme Features 

When considering using the Shopify theme Empire for your Shopify store, there are several compelling features that make it a desirable choice for high-volume merchants. Let’s explore those significant features below:

Promotional pop-up

The promotional pop-up feature in the Empire theme allows merchants to display targeted messages or offers to website visitors. By offering discounts, free shipping, or other incentives, these pop-ups can entice potential customers to make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter, boosting sales and email list growth.

Merchants can customize the pop-up's design, content, and timing to match their branding and marketing goals. This flexibility enables them to create visually appealing and persuasive messages that resonate with their target audience. 

Additionally, tracking pop-up performance through analytics allows merchants to measure their effectiveness and make data-driven adjustments to improve conversion rates.

Mega menu

The mega menu feature enhances website navigation by providing a comprehensive overview of product categories and subcategories, and it even features products directly in the main menu. This eliminates the need for visitors to click through multiple pages to find what they're looking for, saving them time and effort. 

By providing a user-friendly and visually engaging navigation experience, the mega menu can significantly improve the overall shopping experience on your Shopify store. Customers can easily discover relevant products, explore different categories, and quickly access promotional offers, leading to increased browsing time, higher engagement, and, ultimately, increased sales.

Pre-order

The pre-order feature allows merchants to sell products that are not yet in stock. By enabling pre-orders, merchants can gauge customer interest, secure early sales, and generate buzz around upcoming releases. This particularly benefits businesses launching new products or experiencing high demand for specific items.

Pre-orders can also help merchants manage inventory more effectively. By knowing how many units are pre-ordered, they can better anticipate demand and plan production accordingly, reducing the risk of stockouts or overstock situations. This feature is especially valuable for small businesses or those with limited resources.

Multiple languages & currencies

The multi-language and multi-currency feature allows merchants to cater to a global audience by displaying their stores in different languages and accepting payments in various currencies. By removing language and currency barriers, merchants can create a more inclusive and convenient shopping experience for customers worldwide.

The ability to offer localized pricing and payment options can further enhance customer satisfaction and trust, leading to higher conversion rates. This feature is essential for businesses looking to expand their operations internationally or those targeting specific regions.

Customer review area

The customer review area allows customers to share their experiences and opinions about products. This not only provides valuable social proof for potential buyers but also helps merchants understand customer feedback and improve their products and services. 

Merchants can also use customer reviews to identify their most popular products and leverage them for marketing purposes. By responding to reviews, both positive and negative, merchants can demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and build stronger relationships with their audience.

Blogging area

The blogging area enables merchants to create and share valuable content related to their products or industry. Blog posts can be used to promote new products, share company updates, or engage with customers on a deeper level.

By providing informative and engaging content, merchants can attract and retain a loyal audience, increasing brand awareness and driving sales. The blogging area is a valuable tool for content marketing, helping merchants connect with their target audience and build a thriving online community.

Smart Filtering

The smart filtering feature simplifies product discovery by allowing customers to narrow down their search based on various criteria, such as price, size, color, or other product attributes. This enhances the user experience by helping customers quickly find relevant products.

Smart filtering is particularly beneficial for stores with large inventories, as it helps customers navigate through a vast selection of products with ease. By providing intuitive filtering options, merchants can improve product discoverability, leading to higher conversion rates and increased sales.

Product recommendations

Product recommendations suggest relevant items to customers based on their browsing or purchase history. This feature can significantly increase average order value by introducing customers to products they might not have discovered otherwise. 

Product recommendations can be displayed on product pages, shopping cart pages, or even on the homepage. They can be customized based on various factors, such as product categories, price ranges, or even customer demographics, making them a powerful tool for cross-selling and upselling.

Preset Options

Supply

The Supply preset is ideal for large eCommerce stores that want to create an Amazon-like vibe. It offers a comfortable color palette and easy navigation, allowing customers to browse a wide range of products easily.

Its straightforward and elegant design makes it a perfect choice for fashion and accessories brands seeking a sleek and modern aesthetic, stores specializing in minimalist home furnishings and decor, and merchants focusing on skincare and makeup products.

Graphic

The Graphic style is known for its interactive and creative approach to highlighting items. You can showcase multiple products using a single background picture, creating an eye-catching display that stands out to customers.

It captures a vintage and nostalgic yet clean and professional atmosphere, which is what clothing, jewelry accessories, and artisanal crafts stores are looking for.

Industrial

The Industrial preset is reminiscent of stores like Best Buy, featuring a robust and bold design. It has a bulky layout with numerous blocks to display various products, effectively highlighting the extensive range available.

This style is perfect for shops that specialize in heavy, big-tech products such as outdoor and adventure gear, automotive, car, or tools and equipment stores.

Depot

The Depot style offers an edgy look for your online store. It embraces a dark aesthetic that stands out and makes a strong visual impact.

This style is perfect for Shopify businesses that want to make a bold statement and leave a lasting impression on their audience. Stores or industries that can make the most of this style, namely art and illustration, music, gaming, and entertainment.

How to Customize the Theme

With a few simple steps, you can create a unique and visually stunning online store that captures the essence of your business. Below is a quick guide for you to start customizing your Shopify Empire theme.

Step 1: Visit the Shopify Theme Store and choose the Empire theme.

Step 2: Click “Try theme” to add the theme to your online store.

Step 3: In your Shopify admin, click Online Store > Themes.

Step 4: In the Theme library section, click the “…” button to open the actions menu next to the theme you want to preview → Click “Preview.”

Step 5: After exiting the preview mode, you can click the Customize button to start the process

Step 6: Customize the theme to fit your brand identities.

• Logo and Branding: Upload your logo and customize its placement and size within the header. Ensure that it is well-positioned and prominently displayed to create brand recognition and establish a professional image.

• Homepage Layout: Tailor your homepage layout to showcase key elements of your store. Use sections such as Featured Products, Testimonials, Mosaic, or Blog Posts to highlight relevant content and engage visitors. Arrange these sections by drag-and-drop to create an intuitive and visually appealing flow that captures customer attention.
• Navigation Menu: Organize your menu items logically and consider dropdown menus for subcategories, making it effortless for visitors to explore your product offerings. Take advantage of the theme’s Mega menu to showcase your highlighted collections or sale campaigns.

• Product Presentation: Use high-quality product slideshows, images, or videos that accurately represent your offerings. Ensure that you provide detailed information about your products in the description.

• Promotion and Sale Banners: Put promotional banners strategically to highlight sales, discounts, or special offers. Customize these banners with compelling copy and visually appealing graphics to create a sense of urgency and entice customers to explore further.

• Blogs, About Us, and FAQs pages: Organize the layout and design of your pages to match your brand aesthetic, grouping your contents into relevant categories for quick navigation, if possible.

Step 6: If you’re happy with your store’s looks, you can click Publish theme to buy the theme and keep all the customizations you made while previewing it.

Who is the Theme Best For?

The Shopify Empire theme is the ideal choice for these main audiences:

• High-volume stores: Empire's advanced filtering, quick view, and product comparison features streamline product discovery for large inventories, enhancing user experience and driving sales.
• Multi-channel retailers: Empire's seamless integration with point-of-sale (POS) systems and store locator functionality facilitates a unified shopping experience for online and brick-and-mortar customers.
• Visual brands: Empire's emphasis on high-quality visuals, including slideshows, image galleries, and video support, allows visual brands to showcase their products in the most appealing way possible.
• Premium product sellers: Empire's customizable promotional tools, such as banners and tiles, enable premium product sellers to highlight their unique offerings and create a sense of exclusivity.

Where to Buy?

The Shopify Theme Store is an official go-to destination for purchasing online themes like the Empire theme Shopify. You can access the store directly from your Shopify admin dashboard or through the Shopify website. 

Otherwise, you can find the Empire theme on the developer - Pixel Union’s website. While the Empire Shopify theme free download is not available, you can click the “Try theme for free,” button, and it will redirect you to the theme’s page in the Shopify Theme Store. 

Moreover, you can experience the Empire Shopify theme demo below in order to sample the theme first before making the purchase decision.

View theme demo

Note: You should stay away from unofficial or fake websites selling themes since it may cause you to lose your money, time, and even personal information.

Examples of Websites Using the Theme

The Shopify Empire theme has empowered numerous high-volume stores to create visually stunning and successful online shopping experiences. Let’s explore some of these remarkable stores below.

Muji

Muji is a renowned Japanese fashion brand known for its minimalist designs and focus on simplicity. Their online store, built with the Shopify Empire theme, exemplifies their aesthetic and brand values. The site’s design is clean and uncluttered, allowing the products to take center stage.

The use of whitespace and subtle animations adds a touch of elegance and enhances the overall browsing experience. The navigation is intuitive, with an organized mega menu, making it easy for customers to explore the extensive product offerings.

Instyle Furniture

Instyle Furniture is a leading provider of contemporary and modern furniture. Their website uses the Shopify Empire theme, which reflects their commitment to sleek and sophisticated design.

The site’s layout and style perfectly complement the furniture it offers, creating a cohesive and visually appealing experience for visitors and allowing customers to get a clear view of each item. The navigation is user-friendly, with a drop-down effect on each menu button that makes it easy to browse and find the perfect piece of furniture.

5 Tips to Get the Most Out of the Theme 

Explore the Presets

The Empire theme offers four unique presets, so take the time to explore and experiment with them to find the one that best suits your brand’s identity and product offerings. If you want to, you have the ability to create different looks for your store pages by applying different presets to each page.

Use Secondary Menu

The theme features two menu options for the header navigation: First menu and Second menu. By default, the theme will include your main menu as the first, but you can add a secondary menu to split the header navigation to the left and right sides to give your storefront more space.

Double Check The Mobile Version

Regularly preview and test your store’s appearance on various devices to ensure seamless mobile responsiveness. Adjust any elements that may not display correctly to provide a consistent and user-friendly experience across all devices.

Leverage Visual Storytelling

Use high-quality images, videos, and compelling graphics to create visually captivating product displays and tell a story that resonates with your customers. Experiment with different layout options and image placements to create a visually striking browsing experience.

Personalize The Checkout Process

Don’t forget to optimize the Shopify Empire theme’s checkout page layout, remove unnecessary distractions, and simplify the form fields to minimize friction and encourage completion. Enable guest checkout and offer multiple payment options for added convenience.

Comparison with Other Shopify Themes

Here is a quick comparison between Empire vs. other popular Shopify themes:

Shopify Empire Theme FAQs

Final words

With its sleek design, endless customization options, and robust features, it's clear that the Empire Shopify theme is a top contender for enterprise-level stores looking to make a splash in the online marketplace.