The Best Domain Names for Retail & eCommerce Businesses
If you’re selling online, whether it’s handmade candles, vintage clothing, or industrial equipment, your domain name is your shop front. It needs to tell people what you sell, make them trust you enough to hand over their card details, and be memorable enough that they come back. Here’s what actually works.
Why Your Domain Matters When You’re Selling Online
Here’s the brutal truth: nobody trusts a dodgy-looking domain when they’re about to spend money. You could have the best products in London, but if your domain is bestdeals247.xyz, people will assume you’re either a scam or you set up your shop last Tuesday.
Meanwhile, vintageclothing.shop or handmadecandles.store immediately tells people what you sell and suggests you’re legitimate enough to have invested in a proper domain.
We’ve been hosting eCommerce sites for since 2000. The ones that succeed have domains that do three things: they’re clear, they’re trustworthy, and they’re easy to remember. That’s it.
The Best Domain Extensions for Online Shops
.shop
Perfect for: Any retail business, online or offline
This is probably the most versatile retail domain you can get. It works for everything from fashion boutiques to hardware stores. When someone sees yourname.shop, they know exactly what to expect, you sell things.
It’s also reasonably priced compared to some of the more specific extensions, which matters when you’re just starting out and watching every penny.
Real example: vintagelondon.shop or handmade.shop
.store
Perfect for: Established online retailers, multi-product stores
This is basically .shop’s slightly more expensive cousin. It does the same job but sounds a bit more substantial. If you’re running a serious eCommerce operation with multiple product lines, .store suggests scale and professionalism.
The higher price point means fewer people use it, so you’re more likely to get your exact business name without having to add “london” or “uk” to it.
Real example: homeware.store or techgadgets.store
.boutique
Perfect for: Fashion retailers, independent shops, curated collections
If you sell clothing, accessories, or anything fashion-related, this extension immediately positions you as a specialist rather than a mass-market retailer. It suggests curation, quality, and personal service.
It’s particularly good for independent retailers competing against the big chains. Nobody expects yourname.boutique to be selling the same stuff as Primark.
Real example: vintage.boutique or bridalwear.boutique
.clothing
Perfect for: Fashion brands, clothing manufacturers, apparel retailers
Ultra-specific for fashion. If you only sell clothes, this tells people immediately. It’s cheaper than .boutique and more specific than .shop, which makes it a solid middle-ground option.
Real example: sustainable.clothing or streetwear.clothing
.fashion
Perfect for: Fashion brands, style blogs that sell products, fashion consultants
Broader than .clothing, works for accessories, shoes, styling services, anything fashion-related. Good if you’re building a brand rather than just running a shop.
Real example: ethical.fashion or london.fashion
.jewelry
Perfect for: Jewelers, both online and physical shops
If you sell jewelry, this is worth the premium price. Jewelry is a trust-based purchase, people need to believe you’re legitimate before they’ll buy a £500 necklace from you. A specific domain extension helps build that trust.
Note: It’s spelled the American way (.jewelry not .jewellery), which is slightly annoying for UK businesses but that’s what’s available.
Real example: handmade.jewelry or vintage.jewelry
.shoes
Perfect for: Shoe retailers, footwear brands
Another ultra-specific extension. If you only sell shoes, this is brilliant. It immediately tells people your niche and positions you as a specialist.
Real example: handmade.shoes or running.shoes
Food & Drink Retail Extensions
.coffee
Perfect for: Coffee shops, coffee roasters, coffee equipment sellers
Coffee culture is huge in London. If you’re selling coffee beans, equipment, or running a café with online sales, this extension immediately connects with your audience.
Real example: londonroast.coffee or speciality.coffee
.wine
Perfect for: Wine merchants, wine bars with online sales, wine importers
Wine is another trust-based purchase. People want to buy from specialists who know their stuff. A .wine domain suggests expertise and specialization.
Real example: organic.wine or italian.wine
.beer
Perfect for: Craft breweries, beer shops, pubs with online sales
Craft beer is massive. If you’re selling beer online or you’re a brewery with a shop, this extension connects immediately with beer enthusiasts.
Real example: craftlondon.beer or localbrew.beer
Specialist Retail Extensions
.toys
Perfect for: Toy shops, educational toy retailers
Parents searching for toys online want to know they’re buying from a legitimate retailer, not some random marketplace seller. A .toys domain builds that trust.
Real example: educational.toys or wooden.toys
.furniture
Perfect for: Furniture retailers, both online and showroom-based
This is one of the pricier extensions, but furniture is a high-value purchase. If you’re selling £2000 sofas, the extra cost on your domain is nothing.
Real example: vintage.furniture or bespoke.furniture
.garden
Perfect for: Garden centers, plant sellers, garden equipment retailers
Gardening is huge in the UK. If you’re selling plants, tools, or garden services, this extension immediately connects with your audience.
Real example: urbangardening.garden or plants.garden
Should You Still Use .com or .co.uk for Retail?
The .com and .co.uk still work fine for retail. They’re familiar, people trust them, and they’re cheap (especially .co.uk at £6/year).
But here’s the problem: all the good ones are taken. If your business is called “London Vintage Clothing,” good luck finding londonvintageclothing.com available. You’ll end up with londonvintageclothingshop.com or londonvintageclothinguk.com, which is too long and awkward.
Meanwhile, londonvintage.clothing is probably available, shorter, and actually tells people what you sell.
Our advice: Use a retail-specific extension as your main domain, but also register the .co.uk version if it’s available. Redirect it to your main site. That way you catch people who type .co.uk out of habit.
Budget Options That Still Work
Not everyone wants to register a £50/year domain. There are cheaper options that still look professional:
.online – Generic but clear. Works for any online shop.
.shopping – Slightly less common than .shop but does the same job.
.market – Good for marketplace-style shops or local markets going online.
.deals – Works if your brand is about value and bargains.
Common Mistakes Retail Businesses Make
Mistake 1: Being too vague
londonshop.com tells me nothing. What do you sell? Clothes? Coffee? Car parts?
londonvintage.clothing tells me everything I need to know in two words.
Be specific. Your domain should answer the question “what do you sell?” without anyone having to click through.
Mistake 2: Making it too long
I’ve seen domains like handmade-artisan-jewelry-london-uk.com. By the time someone’s typed that into their browser, they’ve lost interest and gone to Amazon instead.
Keep it short. Two or three words maximum.
Mistake 3: Using numbers or hyphens
Is it fashion4you.shop or fashionforyou.shop? Is it vintage-london.shop or vintagelondon.shop?
If people have to guess, you’ve already lost them. Avoid numbers and hyphens completely.
Mistake 4: Not matching your social media
If your domain is vintageclothing.shop but your Instagram is @vintagelondonclothing and your Facebook is VintageClothingShopLondon, you’re confusing people.
Check social media availability before you commit to a domain. Consistency matters.
Mistake 5: Choosing trendy over timeless
Will your domain still make sense in five years? Avoid trendy words or references that will date quickly.
sustainable.clothing will still work in 2030. tiktokfashion.shop might not.
How to Choose Your Retail Domain (Quick Exercise)
- What do you sell? Write it in one or two words. Clothing? Coffee? Furniture?
- What makes you different? Vintage? Handmade? Sustainable? Local?
- Combine them. sustainable.clothing or handmade.furniture
- Check availability. If it’s taken, add your location. sustainablelondon.clothing
- Say it out loud. Can you tell someone at a networking event without spelling it? If yes, you’re done.
Real Examples That Work
We can’t share actual client domains, but here’s what works in practice:
Instead of: londonvintageclothingshopuk.com
Try: londonvintage.clothing or vintage.boutique
Instead of: handmadejewelrybysmith.co.uk
Try: smith.jewelry or handmadejewels.shop
Instead of: organicfoodstoreonline.com
Try: organic.market or londonorganic.shop
Instead of: coffeebeanssupplieruk.com
Try: speciality.coffee or londoncoffee.shop
See the pattern? Shorter, clearer, more specific.
Why Register With Us?
We’re not going to give you a hard sell. You know the drill by now.
No intellectual property theft! We don’t register all the domains you search for to try to sell them back to you!
We’re cheaper: 40% less than the offshore corporates on UK domains.
We actually help: When you need to set up email or your WooCommerce store, we’ll guide you through the process. With our secure client area, there’s no waiting three days for a response.
We’re local: London-based servers, UK support, green energy hosting.
No nonsense: You want a domain? Here’s a domain. We won’t try to upsell you on website builders or “premium” features you don’t need.
Setting Up Your Retail Domain
Once you’ve registered your domain, here’s what happens next:
Day 1: Point your domain to your shop. Whether you’re using Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, or your own site, we’ll help you connect it.
Week 1: Set up a professional email. hello@yourshop.clothing looks infinitely better than yourshop123@gmail.com when customers have questions.
Week 2: Update everything. Business cards, Instagram bio, Facebook page, Google Business Profile, packaging inserts. Update your old domain everywhere it appears.
Week 3: Set up redirects from any old domains. We’ll help with this so you don’t lose traffic.
Questions Retail Businesses Ask
“Will this work with Shopify/WooCommerce/Etsy?”
Yes. All of them. We’ll help you connect your domain to whatever platform you’re using. It’s usually just a matter of updating some DNS settings, which may sound complicated but takes about five minutes.
“What if I want to expand into different products later?”
Go broader rather than narrower. yourname.shop gives you flexibility. yourname.shoes doesn’t. Unless you’re certain you’ll only ever sell shoes, in which case, go specific.
“Do I need an SSL certificate?”
Yes, but it’s usually included with your hosting or eCommerce platform. If you’re hosting with us, it’s included free. You need it for the padlock symbol in the browser. Without it, people won’t trust your site enough to buy.
“Can I use my domain with Instagram Shopping?”
Yes. Instagram requires you to have a proper domain (not just an Instagram page) to use Shopping features. Any of these extensions work fine.
“What about marketplaces like Amazon or eBay?”
If you’re only selling on marketplaces, you might not need your own domain yet. But if you’re building a brand and want to eventually move customers to your own site, get your domain now before someone else takes it.
Right, What Now?
Stop overthinking it. Here’s your action plan:
Pick 3-5 domain options based on what you sell
Check if they’re available (we can help with this)
Register your favourite one
Connect it to your shop platform
Set up a professional email
Update all your marketing materials
That’s it. Your online shop now has a domain that actually tells people what you sell.
If you need help choosing or you’re not sure which extension works best for your specific products, just ask. We’ve set up domains for everything from vintage clothing to industrial equipment. We’ll tell you what works.
No pressure, no upselling, just honest advice from someone who’s been doing this since before online shopping was even a thing.
