Out Of The Sandbox

What Out Of The Sandbox does

Out of the Sandbox is a Victoria, British Columbia-based developer and seller of premium Shopify themes and complementary store management applications, serving more than 700,000 Shopify merchants globally. The company's core product portfolio comprises seven Shopify themes — Flex, Turbo, Superstore, Vino, Retina, Parallax, and Responsive — built on Liquid templating and Shopify's OS 2.0 architecture, sold as one-time perpetual licenses priced between $220 and $499, each shipping with multiple preset styles and a 14-day satisfaction guarantee. Themes target distinct merchant segments: developers and agencies (Flex), high-volume and Shopify Plus merchants (Turbo), wholesalers with large catalogs (Superstore), wineries (Vino), and boutique or D2C brands (Retina, Parallax, Responsive).

The underlying technology emphasizes theme configuration depth, performance optimization, and customization control. Notable technical components include Turbo's smart page preloading with two performance modes (Ludicrous and Sport), Flex's 13 preset styles with 25+ configurable sections, Superstore's AJAX-powered filtering and predictive search, and Vino's wine-specific product tags, tasting notes sections, and 35+ premium sections. The company operates the Theme Updater & Backups Shopify app, a freemium tool that combines one-click theme update automation (preserving customizations), Vault Backups for products/themes/collections/customers/orders, Uptime Monitoring for platform and third-party app outages, and a Theme Sections library for premium design components.

Revenue is generated through one-time theme licenses, recurring subscriptions (Theme Updater Pro at $9/month, Priority Support at $96/year), add-on purchases such as Vino Power Up from $199, and affiliate referral commissions from a customization partner network that includes Storetasker, Blend Commerce, Liquify Design, Co-Curator, and others. The company is closely aligned with Pixel Union, which handles support and licensing under a partnership arrangement. Go-to-market is primarily product-led and self-serve via outofthesandbox.com, augmented by Shopify Theme Store and App Store listings, an affiliate program operating through Partnerstack, and a roster of implementation partners. No venture capital funding has been disclosed, and the company appears to be bootstrapped with headquarters in Victoria, Canada. Notable customers include Gap, Sanrio, SF MOMA, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Forbes, Getty Museum Store, and Nine West Canada.

Name

Out Of The Sandbox

Legal name

Out of the Sandbox

Website

https://outofthesandbox.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Out of the Sandbox is a Victoria, BC-based developer of premium Shopify themes and store management applications. Its seven themes and Theme Updater app serve over 700,000 Shopify merchants globally, including Gap, Sanrio, and SF MOMA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Theme Sales (One-time License): Premium Shopify themes sold as one-time purchases ranging from $220 to $499 USD depending on the theme. Each purchase includes all built-in style presets. 14-day satisfaction guarantee.
2. Priority Support Subscription: Annual subscription at $96 USD providing accelerated theme support with faster response times and priority queue positioning for support requests across Out of the Sandbox themes and related apps.
3. Theme Updater App Subscription: Free plan available for basic theme updates. Pro plan at $9/month for migration of content, custom code, and advanced features including Vault Backups and Uptime Monitoring.
4. Theme Power Up Add-ons: Optional add-on purchases such as Vino Power Up from $199 USD for extended functionality specific to certain themes.
5. Customization Services Referrals: Partnership with Storetasker and other Shopify experts for custom theme development, with Out of the Sandbox earning referral commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Out of the Sandbox designs, develops, and sells premium Shopify themes (Flex, Turbo, Superstore, Vino, Retina, Parallax, Responsive) as one-time licenses, alongside the Theme Updater & Backups Shopify app that provides automated theme updates preserving customizations, automated store backups, uptime monitoring, and a premium Theme Sections library. The themes are built on Shopify's Liquid templating language with Online Store 2.0 architecture and are targeted at specific merchant segments including boutique, D2C, wholesale, high-volume, and wine merchants.

Product overview

Out of the Sandbox is a provider of premium Shopify themes and store management tools. The core product portfolio consists of seven Shopify themes (Flex, Turbo, Superstore, Vino, Retina, Parallax, and Responsive) designed for different merchant segments from small boutiques to high-volume wholesale stores. These themes are sold as one-time purchases with multiple preset styles included. Complementing the themes, the company offers the Theme Updater & Backups app—a Shopify-native tool combining three modules: Vault Backups for automated data protection, Uptime Monitoring for outage detection, and Theme Sections for premium design components. A Priority Support Subscription add-on provides accelerated assistance. All products are exclusively available through Out of the Sandbox's website and integrate natively with the Shopify platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flex Theme Premium Shopify theme designed for developers, freelancers, agencies, and power-merchants, offering the most configurable layout with 13 preset styles, 25+ sections, custom CSS support, multiple header and footer styles, mega menus, and granular settings for product pages and overall look-and-feel. Sold as a one-time $495 USD license including all preset styles.
• Turbo Theme High-performance Shopify theme optimized for speed, reliability, and flexibility, designed for high-volume stores and Shopify Plus merchants. Features smart page preloading, two speed settings (Ludicrous and Sport), mega-menu with multi-column submenus, predictive search, image hotspot functionality, and minified script options. Sold as a one-time $425 USD license including 6 preset styles.
• Superstore Theme Shopify theme purpose-built for wholesalers and stores with large product catalogs. Features rapid AJAX-powered collection filtering, customizable multi-column drop-down menus, live predictive search, promotional sections, and speed-boosting features including Turbolinks, lazy loading, and minified JS. Sold as a one-time $320 USD license including 4 preset styles.
• Vino Theme Shopify theme crafted exclusively for wineries and wine merchants, featuring wine-specific product tags with elegant icons for varietal, region, or sweetness attributes; tasting notes sections on product pages for flavor, aroma, and pairing information; 35+ premium sections; and 3 demo stores for different wine personas. Sold as a one-time $499 USD license with an optional Vino Power Up add-on from $199 USD.
• Retina Theme Shopify theme for growing boutique shops with sleek, modern design, featuring testimonials, predictive search, mobile-optimized design, user-friendly editing, and 4 preset styles. Sold as a one-time $220 USD license.
• Parallax Theme Shopify theme featuring distinctive parallax scrolling effects and full-width images, offering flexibility for long-format page templates with slideshows, video support, testimonials, logo lists, and featured promotions. Sold as a one-time $260 USD license including 4 preset styles.
• Responsive Theme Highly reviewed Shopify theme designed to look sharp across all devices, featuring full product imagery layouts, image zoom, hero videos, promo banners, and various layout and typography customization options for direct-to-consumer brands and local shops.
• Theme Updater & Backups App Shopify-native app for updating premium themes without losing customizations. One-click automated updates carry over theme settings, custom code, and sections. The app combines Vault Backups for automated data protection, Uptime Monitoring for outage alerts, and Theme Sections library of premium design components. Free plan available; Pro plan at $9 USD/month after 7-day free trial.
• Priority Support Subscription Annual subscription service providing accelerated theme support, moving support requests ahead of the standard queue for faster responses across Out of the Sandbox themes and related apps, plus Archetype, Pixel Union, and Clean Canvas themes. Priced at $96 USD per year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% of online shoppers abandon sites taking more than 3 seconds to load (Turbo addresses this)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StoretaskercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStoretasker is the fastest way to get Out of the Sandbox projects done, offering per-project pricing starting at $75. Connects merchants with Shopify experts for theme customizations.
• Blend CommercecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHas created hundreds of stunning store redesigns using Out of the Sandbox themes, focusing on customer experience through design, development, and marketing. Offers $100 off first project with code BLEND100.
• Co-CuratorcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProudly building with Out of the Sandbox themes since 2012. Develops custom Shopify solutions for cultural retailers and creative entrepreneurs, including theme customizations, integrations, POS, and platform migration.
• Liquify DesigncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecializing in Shopify and Shopify Plus, Liquify is one of the top-ranked official Shopify Experts globally. Has helped hundreds of brands succeed with established reputation as go-to agency.
• shopexpertsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOffers everything from custom sections and landing pages to cross-sell and upsell functionalities. New clients get 15% off first project.
• FinerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCreating stunning Shopify and Shopify Plus stores with Out of the Sandbox themes since 2015. Specializes in store builds, redesigns, and migrations with free consultation.
• The Hope FactoryminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWith over 13 years of experience in designing, developing, and growing Shopify stores, helps navigate any challenge in building and running a shop.
• ShopCreatifyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHelps realize goals whether laying a solid foundation on Shopify or maximizing ecommerce store opportunity.
• Jade PumaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgency for growing brands building Shopify stores that tell brand stories and provide rich product content, turning customers into brand advocates.
• Eshop GuideminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGermany's most experienced Shopify agency offering setup, migrations, and optimization. Get 10% off first project by mentioning Out of the Sandbox.
• OptimizersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSince 2011, has grown Shopify stores handling migrations, custom theme builds, and ongoing optimizations that raise conversion and revenue.
• SpeedBoostrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPerformance experts analyzing and optimizing sites for speed. Offers free Shopify Analyzer tool.
• Pixel UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent/partner company developing industry-leading Shopify themes and tools. Out of the Sandbox and Pixel Union are partners in developing themes, with support handled through Pixel Union's support system.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maestrooo: Premium Shopify theme developer behind flagship themes such as Prestige, Symmetry, and Motion. Targets the same high-end merchant segment with similar pricing, performance, and configurability claims.
• Clean Canvas: UK-based premium Shopify theme developer offering Beautify, Symmetry, Enterprise, Mode, Alchemy, and others. Competes in the same Theme Store category for mid-market and enterprise merchants with comparable pricing and feature depth.
• Archetype Themes: Premium Shopify theme developer shipping flagship themes (Impulse, Motion, Streamline, Expanse). Co-marketed with OOTS on the OOTS website; serves the same high-volume merchants with similar performance- and conversion-oriented positioning.
• Pixel Union: Sister/strategic partner company developing premium Shopify themes (Empire, Atlantic, Tailor, Editions, Startup). Handles support and licensing for OOTS and shares affiliate/program infrastructure — the closest comparable business by product, channel, and operating model.
• Outlane: Boutique premium Shopify theme developer serving similar D2C and lifestyle merchants with performance- and design-forward themes at comparable price points.
• Debutify: Shopify theme and conversion-optimization suite aimed at SMB merchants. Competes with OOTS's boutique/Responsive themes on price-sensitive end of the market with a freemium app model.

Broad incumbents

• Shopify: The platform on which OOTS depends. Shopify distributes and curates the Theme Store, publishes the free Dawn theme, and can shape the economics of premium themes through store policy — a broader incumbent whose choices directly affect OOTS revenue.

Others

• Envato / ThemeForest: Marketplace hosting thousands of third-party Shopify themes. Acts as a price-setting reference point for budget buyers who might otherwise consider OOTS's entry-level themes (Retina, Parallax).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/outofthesandbox
• Facebookfacebook.com/ootsb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/out-of-the-sandbox

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Out Of The Sandbox