FutureStore
FutureStore is a one-person Cornwall-based web studio, founded 1997, that designs, builds, and hosts bespoke ecommerce and estate-agent websites on its proprietary Futurestore platform for UK SMBs at fixed one-time prices plus low annual hosting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersRedruth, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FutureStore does
FutureStore is a sole-proprietor web design and development studio founded in 1997 and operated by Lawrence Brendish from Cornwall, United Kingdom. The studio designs, builds, hosts, and supports bespoke websites for UK small and medium-sized businesses, with two specialist verticals: ecommerce retailers (antiques dealers, art galleries, food and drink producers, clothing, gift, and craft sellers) and estate agents requiring integration with property management software such as DezRez, Agency Pilot, and Jupix. The operating model is explicitly one-person — Lawrence handles sales, design, build, and ongoing support directly, with no agency, account managers, offshore teams, or resellers; clients engage via a 20-minute introductory phone call and receive a fixed-price quote with no monthly platform fees or transaction percentages.
The core technology is a proprietary ecommerce platform (branded Futurestore) developed in-house from 2000 and continuously extended for over 27 years, together with a client-facing content management system (the Futurestore Control Panel) and bespoke integration code that synchronises estate-agent listings in real time. The studio does not use Shopify, WooCommerce, or other third-party platforms, and runs on servers controlled by the founder. The product portfolio is organized into four fixed-price tiers — Professional Business Website (£499+), Futurestore Standard ecommerce (£1,299+), Futurestore Designer ecommerce (£2,599+), and Estate Agent Website Package (£3,499+) — with payment-gateway support spanning PayPal, Stripe, SagePay, Worldpay, Barclays EPDQ, and Cardstream, plus a quote-based bespoke integration service for non-standard requirements.
The commercial model combines one-time build fees (deposit-on-order, balance-on-completion) with recurring annual hosting and support of £99–£219 per client per year after the first year. There are no subscriptions, no transaction fees, and no contracts; clients own their websites outright. Distribution is entirely direct, primarily phone- and email-led, with the website itself acting as a transparent pricing and portfolio asset and FreeIndex reviews (4.9 stars from 21 verified reviews, ranked 2nd of 357 UK ecommerce companies) providing third-party credibility. The business is bootstrapped, self-funded since 1997, with no external investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no headcount beyond the founder. FutureStore has built over 600 websites cumulatively and maintains approximately 150 active clients, producing multiple new builds per quarter within the founder's personal capacity constraint.
FutureStore firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FutureStore
- Legal name
- Lawrence Brendish
- Website
- https://futurestore.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- FutureStore is a one-person Cornwall-based web studio, founded 1997, that designs, builds, and hosts bespoke ecommerce and estate-agent websites on its proprietary Futurestore platform for UK SMBs at fixed one-time prices plus low annual hosting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where FutureStore is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redruth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
FutureStore business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Website Design and Build: One-time fixed-price fees for designing and building bespoke websites. Includes Professional Business Websites (£499), Standard Ecommerce (£1,299), Designer Ecommerce (£2,599), and Estate Agent sites (£3,499+). Payment typically structured as 50% deposit, 50% on completion for Standard; 33% deposit, 67% on completion for Designer.
- Annual Hosting and Support: Recurring annual fees for hosting, server maintenance, software updates, and phone support. Business websites: £99/year after year one. Ecommerce and Estate Agent sites: £219/year after year one. No contract required - clients can leave whenever they like.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Professional Business Website from £499 - for businesses without online shops |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Futurestore Standard ecommerce from £1,299 - set functionality online shop |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Futurestore Designer ecommerce from £2,599 - bespoke professionally-designed shop |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Estate Agent Website from £3,499 - fully integrated with property software |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Bespoke Development - custom integrations and unusual projects |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
FutureStore product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FutureStore is a Cornwall-based, one-person web development studio that builds bespoke ecommerce websites, estate agent property websites, and professional business websites for small UK businesses, using its own proprietary ecommerce software platform developed since 2000. Each project is delivered with hosting, domain/email registration, mobile-responsive design, and optional integrations (CRM, email, eBay, Amazon) bundled in. Clients pay a one-off build fee plus an annual hosting subscription, with bespoke integration work available as additional services.
Product overview
FutureStore is a one-person web development studio offering a portfolio of distinct website products built on its proprietary ecommerce software platform (developed since 2000). The core offering spans two main categories: ecommerce websites (Futurestore Standard from £1,299 and Futurestore Designer from £2,599) for online retail, and non-ecommerce websites including Professional Business Websites (from £499) for service businesses and the Estate Agent Website Package (from £3,499) with property management software integrations. All builds include the Futurestore Control Panel for self-management. The company also offers bespoke integration services for custom requirements outside standard tiers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Futurestore Standard Mid-tier bespoke ecommerce website package built on FutureStore's proprietary ecommerce platform, including design, build, mobile responsiveness, hosting, domain and email registration, and optional email/CRM and marketplace integrations, targeted at small UK businesses that need a full-featured online shop.
- Futurestore Designer High-end bespoke ecommerce website package built on FutureStore's proprietary platform, providing the most custom design, deeper feature work, and integrations, priced from £3,499+, aimed at small businesses wanting a fully tailored online shop with bundled hosting and support.
- Professional Business Website Entry-level bespoke business/marketing website package including design, build, mobile-responsive layout, hosting, domain and email registration, aimed at small UK businesses that need a professional online presence without full ecommerce functionality.
- Estate Agent Website Package Dedicated property-marketing website package for independent UK estate and letting agencies, built on FutureStore's proprietary platform with property listings, search, agent profiles, lead capture, mobile-responsive design, and bundled hosting, domain, and email services.
- Bespoke Integration Services Custom integration development service for clients needing extra functionality beyond standard packages, such as CRM and email platform integrations, eBay and Amazon marketplace connectivity, and other bespoke technical work, quoted on top of package pricing.
- Managed Website Hosting and Support Recurring annual hosting, maintenance, and support subscription bundled with every FutureStore website, including domain registration, business email, server hosting, and ongoing technical maintenance, priced at approximately £99–£219 per year per site.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ranked 2nd out of 357 UK ecommerce companies on FreeIndex with 4.9★ from 21 verified reviews (2012-present)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use FutureStore
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FutureStore technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature4 records
FutureStore partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DezRezcoreIntegration partnership for estate agent websites. DezRez property management software syncs with FutureStore-built estate agent websites, automatically updating listings, prices, and status on the website when changes are made in the office software.
- Agency PilotcoreIntegration partnership for estate agent websites. Agency Pilot property software connects with FutureStore estate agent sites for automatic listing synchronization.
- JupixcoreIntegration partnership for estate agent websites. Jupix property management system integrates with FutureStore-built estate agent websites for live property listing updates.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
FutureStore competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Squarespace: Design-led website builder with commerce capabilities targeting SMBs, creatives, and small retailers. Overlaps with FutureStore's Professional Business Website and small ecommerce tiers, particularly for creative-sector clients.
- Wix: Large global website builder platform including ecommerce functionality, also explicitly named by FutureStore as a competitive reference. Serves the same SMB professional-website segment at lower price points via self-service templates.
- WooCommerce: Open-source WordPress-based ecommerce platform explicitly named by FutureStore as a competitive alternative. Comparable in serving the SMB ecommerce build market, with a different cost structure (self-hosted with plugin costs vs. one-time bespoke).
- Shopify: Global incumbent in ecommerce platforms, explicitly named by FutureStore as a competitor it differentiates against on cost (no monthly fees) and ownership. Competes broadly in the same SMB ecommerce segment but via a SaaS subscription model rather than bespoke builds.
Direct peers
- EKM: UK-based ecommerce platform provider serving SMBs with shop builder, hosting, and support services. Comparable to FutureStore in target market (UK SMB retailers wanting a turnkey online presence) and in tiered pricing structure, though EKM is a templated SaaS rather than bespoke.
- ShopWired: UK ecommerce platform purpose-built for small and medium retailers, offering shop builds, hosting, and support. Competes with FutureStore for the same UK SMB ecommerce segment with a hosted SaaS model, contrasting with FutureStore's bespoke one-time-fee approach.
- Create.net: Long-established UK ecommerce platform serving SMB retailers with online shop builds and hosting. Comparable to FutureStore in targeting UK SMB ecommerce clients with bundled build-plus-hosting offerings, though positioned as a packaged platform rather than fully bespoke.
- Bluepark: UK ecommerce platform and design agency serving small and medium retailers with bespoke shop builds and recurring hosting. Directly comparable to FutureStore's SMB ecommerce build-and-host offering, with similar UK market focus and tiered service model.
- Visualsoft: UK ecommerce platform and web design agency targeting SMB retailers with bespoke shop builds and recurring fees. Directly competes with FutureStore for the same UK SMB ecommerce customer, though typically at larger scale and with a SaaS platform rather than a proprietary bespoke codebase.
Emerging players
- Vebra: UK property software and website provider for estate agents, overlapping with FutureStore's estate agent website vertical. Comparable in targeting UK estate agents with website-plus-property-data integration, though typically at larger agency scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FutureStore social profiles
Digital presenceFutureStore compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
FutureStore financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FutureStore leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
FutureStore funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FutureStore M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FutureStore
What does FutureStore do?
FutureStore is a Cornwall-based, one-person web development studio that builds bespoke ecommerce websites, estate agent property websites, and professional business websites for small UK businesses, using its own proprietary ecommerce software platform developed since 2000. Each project is delivered with hosting, domain/email registration, mobile-responsive design, and optional integrations (CRM, email, eBay, Amazon) bundled in. Clients pay a one-off build fee plus an annual hosting subscription, with bespoke integration work available as additional services.
Is FutureStore a public or private company?
FutureStore is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FutureStore founded?
FutureStore was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FutureStore based?
FutureStore is headquartered in Redruth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does FutureStore make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Website Design and Build is the primary driver. The others are annual Hosting and Support.
Who are FutureStore's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Squarespace, Wix, WooCommerce and Shopify. Direct peers are EKM, ShopWired, Create.net, Bluepark and Visualsoft. Vebra is listed as an emerging player.
Does FutureStore have an API?
No public API is recorded for FutureStore.