I run a mail order business currently selling a range of Gifts, appeal, arts & craft products but would like to launch my own web store.
I am wondering if anyone has any experience with Shopify and what are your thoughts etc on it if you do have a store with them!
I would never use a company like shopify.
Personally if you’re looking for a cheap, simple, do it yourself website, I’d recommend a self hosted Wordpress install with Woocommerce.
This way you retain all control and ownership rights. You can add and remove whatever features you want with no contract, monthly fee increase or limitations as to what you can have or change.
The cherry on top is that it will likely be cheaper than Shopify too.
Seconded! I’ll even help you build one! 
I can also jump in and help if you get stuck too 
Open to suggestions - it would need to work with our inventory management system (linnworks)
Drop me a message on here if you think you can help!
Woocommerce are up there as one of the top ecommerce platforms so it would come as no surprise that they’ve already integrated with them 
Just a case of clicking a button to add the plugin and away you go
Wordpress and woocommerce
I’ve always found styling WooCommerce to be a big old sack of balls.
It’s brilliant for free though.
Maybe an option for future
Not really used woocomerce that much
I think a better option is Wordpress this way you can add remove how manny items you wish you can change how it look how often you wish. Also this way they no monthly fees apart from hosting or you can pay yearly.
A better option than… the option everyone else has already suggested? 
I’ve seen this a lot now. This person is just going into topics and repeating what the last person said.
I think they’re trying to get their forum level up 
Ok so every has said it but offer then Wordpress they is offer thing simpler to Wordpress but they not as easy to use. They also need more excoriating use them.
I’m not really sure how to parse your sentence (and what does ‘excoriating’ mean? typo for expertise?)
Anyho, WooCommerce isn’t a standalone thing, you need WordPress + WooCommerce to do what the OP wants, which is what we are ALL suggesting. Our work here is done.
Just saying they is offer option not saying any one has to it’s up to them but Wordpress is good to work with and easy to use. Wordpress has to be one of the biggest out they it is used in lots of site For selling and offer sites like blog ect.
Okay.
Use Shopify!
Unless you happen to know how to build your own or pay someone else to do it for you, you will use up hours of time on this project rather than doing things you’re good at. Not to mention the ongoing time you’ll need to spend making sure your own hosted site is updated and secure. If you don’t keep your own Wordpress updated it will get hacked and you will lose all your customer’s data.
Seriously, those recommending hosting your own are not thinking about what’s best for YOU. Shopify might be more expensive but you’ll get support, no worries about upgrades and it’ll work out the box.
I highly doubt Shopify are demanding you hand over the rights to any of your data. This statement seems incorrect.
This is all the issues that come with running your own site if you don’t know how to build and keep you site running then you would need some one to build one after that your have to pay hosting fees and of course keep Wordpress update and secure offer wise it may get hacked.
Using shopify is great way to just start right away at an affordable rate.
They is offer platform offer then Wordpress but if you don’t know how to build a site then you need some one to build one and keep secure ect.
I nit say ting Wordpress is not good it is a good platform for all sorts of sites I also nit saying your should not go with it just what I think.
You know what I mean. The moment you stop paying Shopify you’re back to square one again with no website. Also, you’re at the limits of what Shopify allow you to do to the website.