Sub-stores: run multiple storefronts under one account
Selling to multiple regions? Running a B2B side-shop alongside your DTC brand? Operating a portfolio of niche stores from one team? Sub-stores let you launch additional storefronts under a single parent account, each with its own products, theme, domain and staff — while keeping billing and operations centralized.
The multi-store model
Every LMS account has a parentId field. A top-level merchant account has parentId = null. A sub-store account has parentId pointing to its parent. Sub-stores are full first-class accounts — they have their own:
- Storefront and domain.
- Theme and customizer state.
- Products, collections, customers, orders.
- Staff members and roles.
- Payment provider configuration.
- Webhooks, metafields, gift cards.
The parent account is what owns the relationship and (depending on your plan) the consolidated billing.
When to use a sub-store
| Situation | Sub-store? |
|---|---|
| Same brand, multiple countries with different SKUs / currencies | Often yes |
| Same brand, one country, multi-currency only | No — use multi-currency on one store |
| Different brand, different SKUs, same parent company | Yes |
| Pop-up event store with a different theme and SKUs | Yes |
| Wholesale / B2B side of a DTC brand | Often yes |
| Multiple environments (staging vs. production) | Use a theme duplicate, not a sub-store |
Creating a sub-store
- Sign in to the parent account.
- Open the account switcher in the top bar and choose Create sub-store.
- Pick a slug for the sub-store (this becomes
slug.launchmystore.iountil you attach a custom domain). - Choose the initial plan and locale.
- The sub-store is created with empty inventory and a default theme.
Data isolation
Sub-stores do not share data by default. Each one has its own products, customers, orders, themes, metafields, webhooks, apps and gift cards. This is a feature: you can run different price lists, different catalogs, and different fulfilment policies per sub-store without leaking data between them.
What is shared is the parent account context — billing, the staff roster the parent grants access to, and any plan-level entitlements.
Staff access
The parent account’s owner can switch into any sub-store directly. To give a non-owner staff member access to a sub-store, add them as staff on that sub-store — they sign in with the same email but only see the stores they have a role on.
Domains
Each sub-store gets a free *.launchmystore.io subdomain. Attach a custom domain from Settings → Domains on that sub-store. The platform’s multi-tenant resolver routes requests to the right sub-store based on the domain header — you don’t need to configure anything beyond DNS.
Apps, webhooks and metafields
Apps, webhooks and metafields are scoped per store, so installs on the parent do not carry over to sub-stores. Install separately on each sub-store you want them on. The same goes for OAuth tokens — an app token only authorizes calls against the specific store it was issued to.
Billing
Depending on your plan, sub-stores may be billed individually or rolled up under the parent. Check Settings → Plans & billing on the parent account to see the active configuration.
FAQ
Can a sub-store have its own staff?
Yes. Staff are added per store. The parent account’s owner can switch between stores, but a sub-store can also have its own dedicated team that doesn’t see the parent or sibling stores.
Do sub-stores share customers?
No. Customer accounts are scoped per store. A shopper who has an account on the parent must register separately on a sub-store (and vice versa) unless you build a single-sign-on app yourself.
Can I move products from the parent to a sub-store?
Yes — export from the parent (CSV or API) and import into the sub-store. There’s no automatic mirror because most multi-store setups intentionally differ between stores.
Will an app installed on the parent appear on sub-stores?
No. App installs are per store. Install the app individually on each sub-store you want it on so each has its own OAuth scope and config.
Can a sub-store run a different theme?
Yes — that’s one of the main reasons to use sub-stores. Each store has its own theme storage and customizer state.
Is there a limit on how many sub-stores I can create?
Limits depend on your plan. Check Settings → Plans & billing on the parent for the current cap, or upgrade for more.