According to Reuters, Shopify is set to ban vape products from its platform after pressure from U.S. authorities.
For me, this shows why it is important to have your own online store and not build your whole business on someone else’s platform.
When you use a platform like Shopify, you are also using their rules. Today everything is fine. Tomorrow they can change their terms, ban a product, suspend your store or remove your business from the internet.
And what happens then? Not much.
You already spent money on the website, SEO, Google Ads, social media, email marketing, content and building your customer base. But if the platform decides your store is no longer allowed, all of that work is at risk.
This is why I like WooCommerce for long-term business.
With WooCommerce, your website belongs to you. You control the hosting, website files, data, design and how you want to grow your business. Of course, every business still needs to follow the law and payment provider rules, but at least you are not fully relying on one company’s platform.
Shopify can be good for a quick start, but if you want to build a serious business, I believe it is better to build your own system.
Build it once, and you own it for the long term.
Read more about Shopify vs. WordPress – Which One Do You Need?
Source: Reuters, “Shopify to bar vapes as U.S. authorities crack down on illegal industry”, 23 June 2026.
