Empire Shopify Theme — Usage Statistics
Empire runs on 0.6% of the 3,500,000+ Shopify stores across our full detection dataset. For how its share is moving right now, see theme trends.
#28 most-used theme in our datasetEmpire is a Shopify theme used by 0.6% of the Shopify stores in our dataset, ranking #28 among all themes we track. The figure reflects live storefront detection of the active theme, not Theme Store download counts.
Theme store ID: 838 — the number Empire stamps into every store that installs it.
We may earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never affects the numbers on this page.
Empire adoption trend
Empire has climbed from 0.4% to 0.7% of the stores scanned each month over recent months. See all Shopify trends →
Empire speed & Core Web Vitals
Across 472 real Empire stores, 65.6% pass Google’s Core Web Vitals (median LCP 1.8s). Filtered to stores running only a few apps, that rises to 79.8%, isolating the theme’s own speed from the apps merchants pile on.
Empire is a conversion-focused theme built for stores with a lot to sell. Where many premium themes chase a minimal, editorial look, Empire goes the other way. It is dense, bold, and designed to put more products in front of shoppers on every page. That makes it a fit for big catalogs: general merchandise, wholesale, dropshipping, and high-SKU brands in apparel, beauty, or home. It comes from Pixel Union, a long-established Shopify studio, and ships 4 presets (Empire, Circuit, Depot, Forma) that share the same catalog-first backbone.
The feature set is aimed squarely at discovery and order value. Advanced filters and swatch filters let shoppers narrow a huge catalog by size, color, or type without endless scrolling. A bold mega menu keeps deep category trees reachable in one or two clicks. Product comparison helps buyers weigh similar items side by side, which matters when a store sells dozens of near-identical products. On top of that, Empire includes the usual conversion tools: countdown timers, product badges, cross-selling, and a slide-out cart. The stores running it tend to carry some of the largest catalogs of any premium theme, a good sign the discovery tools do their job.
Where it fits: Scale. Empire earns its keep when a store has hundreds or thousands of products. The filtering, mega menu, and comparison tools are built for exactly that, and few themes handle a sprawling catalog as cleanly.
The weak spots: The review score sits below its premium peers, and that shows up as a steeper setup and a heavier, older feel than newer themes. Owners report real time spent configuring filters and menus to get it looking right.
Right store, wrong store: Right for high-SKU catalogs, wholesale, and dropshipping. Wrong for a small, single-product, or minimalist brand, where its density works against you and a lighter theme looks better with less effort.
Before you commit: Empire only pays off at scale. If your catalog is small today and will stay that way, you are buying complexity you will not use. Match the theme to the size of your inventory, not the size of your ambition.
Top apps used on Empire stores
| # | App | % of stores | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Klaviyo
Email Marketing |
40.1% | |
| 2 |
 Judge.me Product Reviews App
Product reviews |
38.7% | |
| 3 |
 Recharge
Subscriptions |
21.1% | |
| 4 |
 Loox ‑ Product Reviews App
Product reviews |
21.0% | |
| 5 |
 PageFly ✦ AI Page Builder
Page builder |
13.8% | |
| 6 |
 Trustpilot
Marketing - Other |
13.6% | |
| 7 |
 Swym Wishlist
Wishlists |
12.0% | |
| 8 |
 Simprosys Google Shopping Feed
Marketplaces |
10.8% | |
| 9 |
 Yotpo
Product reviews |
10.4% | |
| 10 |
 Shopify Inbox
Support - Other |
10.1% |
Store types using Empire
By business model
- Subscription 22.2%
- Multichannel & Marketplaces 12.9%
- Wholesale / B2B 9.4%
- Print on Demand 2.7%
- Dropshipping 2.5%
By what they sell
- Home & Garden 35.7%
- Apparel & Accessories 24.5%
- Food, Beverages & Tobacco 19.1%
- Electronics 12.9%
- Health & Beauty 12.6%
- Business & Industrial 9.0%
Examples of stores running Empire
- titanchair.com
- nutraj.com
- amazingames.ch
- toycra.com
- montessorimarbles.com
- danozdirect.com.au
Store owners can request removal of their domain from example listings.
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the Empire Shopify theme?
How fast is the Empire Shopify theme?
How much does the Empire Shopify theme cost?
Which apps do Empire stores use most?
Is the Empire Shopify theme any good?
How this data works
This figure comes from live detection: we scan Shopify storefronts and read the active theme each one runs, then express it as a share of the 3,500,000+ stores in our dataset. It is a share of every store in our dataset, not just recently scanned stores, so it moves more slowly than the month-over-month figures on our trends page. We report what is currently detected, not historical installs or Theme Store / App Store counts.
Independent by design: rankings are determined solely by live detection data. Affiliate relationships never affect what ranks or how stores are counted. Read the full methodology →
Citing this data
Free to cite and republish with a link to shopthemedetector.com. Use these figures in articles, reports, and marketing pages. No permission request needed. Quote the date you read the page, since the numbers recompute daily.
ShopThemeDetector, "Empire Shopify theme usage statistics", 2026. https://shopthemedetector.com/shopify-themes/empire
