What Ask Phill does

Ask Phill is a privately held, Amsterdam-based digital agency specializing in enterprise-level Shopify and Shopify Plus implementations, founded in 2016 by Martijn Wijsmuller and Paul Veen. The company serves mid-market and enterprise brands primarily in the fashion, lifestyle, and beauty sectors across 20+ European countries, with a stated client base of 200+ Shopify stores launched since inception. Its offering is organized around four service pillars: Shopify Migration (replatforming from Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and custom stacks), Strategy, Design, and Development (custom Liquid themes, headless builds on Shopify Hydrogen or Next.js, and app development), supplemented by Retention services built on Klaviyo, Bloomreach, and Voyado. Technical differentiation is anchored by the proprietary 'Ask Phill Accelerator' theme foundation — a custom-coded Shopify theme framework developed over 10 years — alongside early-mover credentials as Europe's first headless Shopify Plus agency (2018) and the first Shopify Hydrogen platform launch in EMEA (2025). The company employs 60+ digital natives and operates a three-tier implementation pricing model (No-Code €20-60k, Accelerator €50-180k, Enterprise €150-500k+) plus ongoing retainers with dedicated squads, reaching its highest Shopify partnership tier (Platinum) in 2025.

Name

Ask Phill

Legal name

Ask Phill

Website

https://askphill.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ask Phill is an Amsterdam-based Shopify Plus Platinum Partner agency providing end-to-end migration, design, development, and retention services to mid-market and enterprise fashion, lifestyle, and beauty brands across 20+ European countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecommerce Development Services

akta.pro primary industry

Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)

Keywords

• Shopify Plus agency
• Ecommerce migration services
• Headless commerce development
• Custom theme development
• Retail retention marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Project-Based: One-time project fees for Shopify migrations, custom theme builds, headless development, and redesign projects. Three tiers: No-Code (€20-60k), Accelerator (€50-180k), Enterprise (€150-500k+).
2. Retainer / Managed Services: Ongoing retainer model after launch with dedicated team (Product Owner, Tech Lead, Developers). Bi-weekly sprints, quarterly strategic sessions. Starts with 3-month initial engagement, extends to 6 or 12 months.
3. Continuous Development: Post-launch bug fixes, security updates, small features, integration updates, and proactive performance reviews delivered through retainer engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ask Phill is a Shopify Platinum Partner agency that designs, builds, and migrates ecommerce storefronts for fashion, lifestyle, and beauty brands. It delivers large-scale Shopify Plus migrations from legacy platforms (Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Centra), custom Liquid theme and headless commerce builds (Hydrogen, Next.js), Shopify app development, performance optimisation, and post-launch retainer services including retention via Klaviyo.

Product overview

Ask Phill is a Shopify Platinum Partner agency offering a full-service suite of ecommerce strategy, design, development, and retention services for fashion, lifestyle, and beauty brands on Shopify and Shopify Plus. The offering is organized around three core pillars: Shopify Migration Services (handling replatforming from Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and custom stacks), Shopify Development (encompassing headless builds on Hydrogen or Next.js, custom theme development on the proprietary Ask Phill Accelerator framework, Shopify App Development, and performance optimization), and Creative & Strategy services (branding, design, commerce strategy, and retention via Klaviyo). Implementation is structured into three tiers — No-Code (using existing Shopify themes, EUR 20-60k), Accelerator (custom theme on the Ask Phill Accelerator foundation, EUR 50-180k), and Enterprise/Custom (full bespoke builds including headless, EUR 150k+) — with ongoing retainer services for post-launch monitoring and continuous development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shopify Migration Services End-to-end replatforming services migrating brands from Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Centra, Shopware, VTEX, and custom legacy stacks onto Shopify and Shopify Plus, handling data integrity, SEO continuity, and integration architecture.
• Shopify Headless Development Decoupled front-end builds using Shopify Hydrogen or Next.js connected to Shopify's commerce backend via APIs, enabling complete UX control for content-rich or highly branded stores.
• No-Code Shopify Migration Tier Fastest path to a live Shopify store using existing themes, native features, and the Shopify app ecosystem with no custom code. Timeline of 3 months with a budget of €20-60k. Best suited for simpler platforms, smaller catalogs, or brands prioritizing speed and cost efficiency.
• Accelerator Custom Theme Tier Mid-market custom theme builds using Ask Phill's proprietary Accelerator foundation theme, providing full design freedom and custom extensibility on a fixed-fee structure with a performance guarantee. Timeline of 3-6 months with a budget of €50-180k.
• Enterprise / Custom Builds Tier Full custom code builds covering headless storefronts (Hydrogen or Next.js), bespoke Liquid themes, multi-brand and multi-region architectures, and fully bespoke admin tooling. Timeline of 7+ months with a budget starting at €150k.
• Commerce Strategy Strategic consultancy covering IT architecture, unified commerce strategy, optimal tech stack design, and integrated commerce strategies for mid-market to enterprise brands.
• Shopify Tech Audit & Consulting Full diagnostic of a brand's tech stack with tailored recommendations on where to go next, helping unblock growth, identify performance leaks, and plan future Shopify builds.
• Custom Shopify Theme Development Fully custom Shopify themes coded from scratch aligned with brand DNA, built on the Ask Phill Accelerator foundation theme, delivering speed, modularity, and long-term maintainability.
• Shopify App Development Private and public Shopify app development to bridge functionality gaps, automate tasks, and integrate critical tools, ranging from MVPs to enterprise-scale solutions.
• Shopify Site Performance Optimisation Performance-driven optimization covering code audits, Liquid optimisation, and fine-tuning for speed, UX, and retention across Shopify storefronts.
• Retention Services Retention strategy and implementation using Klaviyo, Bloomreach, and Voyado, including zero-party data strategies and automated email journeys to drive repeat revenue from existing customers.
• Branding & Design Creative services encompassing research, creative direction, user journeys, wireframes, UX/UI design, commerce design, animation, email designs, style guides, accessibility designs, interactive prototyping, and brand identity development.
• Post-Launch Retainer Services Ongoing managed services post-launch including performance monitoring (Core Web Vitals tracking, conversion rate monitoring), SEO continuity tracking, iteration cycles, and continuous development (bug fixes, security updates, feature additions). Delivered via a dedicated squad model with a Product Owner, Tech Lead, and Developers on bi-weekly sprint cadence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nike x Corteiz: 100,000 concurrent visitors at launch on native Shopify Plus
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration24 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShopifycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShopify Platinum Partner - the highest tier of Shopify's global partner program. One of few agencies worldwide to achieve this status. Provides early access to Shopify features, dedicated support, and referral pipeline for enterprise merchants. The core platform partnership enabling all of Ask Phill's service delivery.
• KlaviyocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner for email marketing and automation. Used for retention strategies, zero-party data collection, and automated customer journeys. Featured in Naked Copenhagen, OBEY, and other case studies.
• Shopify Hydrogen / OxygencoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify's headless commerce framework and hosting platform. Ask Phill was first to launch Hydrogen storefront in EMEA.
• Sanity / ContentfulcoreTechnology or IntegrationCMS integrations for headless builds where editorial workflows need dedicated content management alongside Shopify commerce backend.
• VercelcoreTechnology or IntegrationHosting platform for Next.js storefronts in headless builds, alongside Shopify Oxygen.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eastside Co: UK-based Shopify Plus agency offering migration, design, development, and app development services. Direct overlap with Ask Phill in European mid-market and enterprise Shopify work, particularly in fashion and lifestyle verticals.
• The Code Company: Shopify Plus agency offering custom development, replatforming, and headless builds. Comparable in service depth and Shopify specialization, and competes for similar enterprise migration opportunities.
• OuterBox: US-based digital agency specializing in Shopify Plus design, development, and SEO. Comparable in mid-market and enterprise e-commerce focus with similar migration and customization capabilities.
• Absolute Web: Shopify Plus Partner agency with e-commerce design, development, and digital marketing services. Comparable end-to-end Shopify Plus offering and overlapping target customer segments in fashion and lifestyle.
• We Make Websites: Australia-based Shopify Plus Partner agency that builds custom Shopify stores and replatforms enterprise brands. Closely comparable in service offering (Shopify Plus migrations, custom themes, headless builds) and target market (mid-market to enterprise DTC brands), making it a strong cross-regional peer.
• Swell (a Valiant Company): US-based Shopify Plus agency focused on enterprise migrations, custom themes, and headless builds. Comparable business model (project + retainer), similar enterprise client profile, and overlaps with Ask Phill on migration projects off legacy stacks.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Acorn iCi (an Infosys company): Larger digital commerce agency owned by Infosys offering Shopify Plus implementations alongside broader enterprise e-commerce capabilities. Overlaps with Ask Phill on Shopify Plus builds but operates at much larger scale and serves a broader industry mix beyond fashion/lifestyle/beauty.

Emerging players

• disco (formerly Disco Labs): Shopify Plus agency focused on design and development for premium consumer brands. Comparable in vertical focus (fashion, beauty, lifestyle) and Shopify Plus specialism, positioned as a slightly smaller boutique peer.
• Summit Commerce: UK-based Shopify Plus partner agency offering migration, design, and development for fashion and lifestyle brands. Overlaps with Ask Phill on European fashion/lifestyle Shopify migrations at a similar boutique scale.
• Vervaunt: UK-based Shopify Plus consultancy and agency focused on retention, CRO, and technical strategy for premium DTC brands. Comparable in Shopify Plus specialism and European fashion/lifestyle client base, though smaller in build scope than Ask Phill.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phill_ask

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ask Phill