In Northern Ireland, there’s a small pocket of incredible creatives, agencies and developers who on paper are direct competition. And yet, there are collaborations, collectives and partnerships that happen daily right across the industry.
And this is a testament to the industry we’ve created and the people who work within it.
And before I tell you about the next chapter for Glaze, I’d like to share my own history with them. I’ve known Glaze from its inception and have known Richard for a long time before that. We asked Mark to support our own developers with training and development and if anyone asked for a Shopify agency, they were our only recommendation. Because in a world where any agency can call themselves anything, Glaze truly stood out with knowledge, expertise and the ability to deliver world-class Shopify design and development.
And I’ll not lie, they won a few projects from me that still sting a little.
But when I started Move at Pace, Glaze was at the top of the list of the agencies I wanted to work with. I know the effort, the determination and the expertise that created the agency they have become and I could see the path forward. Even if I hadn’t told them yet. The truth is I was looking on the outside in with only half the story.
But in 2024 I began supporting the business in an advisory capacity through my Strategic Growth Programme and the rest of the story is still unfolding.
At this time, the business had delivered over 200 Shopify stores for clients worldwide, they supported retailers that combined brought in over £15million monthly revenue through Shopify alone and they had ambition. Our collective goal was and still is to realise this further.
So what have we been working on?
Business maturation
Today Glaze launched their new brand and website and this is the public launch of the new chapter of this business. Behind the scenes we’ve been building the strategy and service focus that moves this business into new markets focused on more of their ideal clients. Same great attention to detail backed by strong sales, marketing and service delivery that matches the expectations of enterprise clients.
Many businesses get to a point where they have built something solid and get stuck. The process of maturing Glaze is to focus on the next phase of growth, delivering increased revenue, profit and then the ability to truly scale the business.
Building commercial value
We have focused on demonstrating the commercial value achieved for our clients and using this experience, knowledge and understanding to generate more enquiries from the right customers. There has been an acute focus on delivering growth through existing and new sales channels while consistently supporting those clients who have supported us.
Marketing and market positioning have been overhauled and the launch of the new brand website is a large part of this activity. There is a considered plan to support this launch that will be activated from now onwards.
Strategic partnerships and collaboration
What makes Glaze special isn’t just their technical expertise, but their approach to partnerships. They’ve built a network of agency collaborations that demonstrates the collaborative spirit of Northern Ireland’s creative industry. Rather than viewing other agencies as competition, they’ve created partnerships that deliver better outcomes for clients.
This approach has seen them work alongside agencies across the UK and Ireland, providing specialist Shopify development while their partners focus on their own strengths in design, marketing, or strategy. It’s a model that works because it puts client outcomes first.
The 250th milestone
As Glaze celebrates delivering their 250th Shopify store, it’s worth considering what this milestone represents. These aren’t just websites – they’re the digital backbone for businesses that collectively generate over £20 million in revenue each month. From bedroom startups that have grown into international brands to established businesses expanding their digital presence, each project represents growth, ambition, and success.
This milestone also represents the evolution of Glaze’s business model. They’ve moved from being a development house to becoming strategic partners for their clients, understanding that great Shopify implementations are about commercial outcomes, not just technical excellence.
What’s changed
The rebrand marks a new chapter, but it’s built on everything they’ve learned. The same commitment to quality, the same technical expertise, and the same collaborative approach that made Glaze a trusted name in Shopify development remains unchanged.
What’s different is the scale of ambition. With their enhanced positioning, strategic focus, and proven track record, Glaze is ready to work with larger clients, more complex projects, and deliver even greater commercial value.
As I’ve learned through my work with service businesses across different sectors – from design agencies to professional services – there comes a moment when technical capability needs to be matched by commercial sophistication. When you need to move beyond hoping the work sells itself to actively demonstrating value and building systematic growth.
That’s exactly where Glaze is now.
Why this matters for you
In an industry where anyone can claim to be a Shopify expert, proven experience matters. When agencies and businesses are looking for partners they can trust with their most important digital projects, they need to know they’re working with people who understand both the technical and commercial sides of e-commerce.
At Move at Pace, we focus on helping ambitious service businesses scale through proven growth strategies. We work with businesses at the point where they’ve built something successful but need strategic guidance to reach the next level. Glaze is a perfect example of this – they had the expertise and track record, but needed the strategic framework to scale systematically.
Glaze has built that reputation project by project, client by client, over years of consistent delivery. The rebrand isn’t changing who they are – it’s showing the world who they’ve become.
If you’re looking for a Shopify agency, Glaze is even more my go-to today.
Glaze is starting a whole new chapter.