Detroit Regional Chamber > Detroiter Magazine > Detroit Pistons and Shopify Partner to Launch Shop313, Detroit’s Source for Entrepreneurship

Detroit Pistons and Shopify Partner to Launch Shop313, Detroit’s Source for Entrepreneurship

August 18, 2021
DETROIT – August 18, 2021 – Today, the Detroit Pistons and Shopify, a leading commerce platform powering 1.7+ million businesses, announced they will team up to launch SHOP313, an immersive, first-of-its-kind small business platform focused on amplifying and supporting small businesses in Detroit. Developed to promote Detroit’s local entrepreneurs and those interested in entrepreneurship,  SHOP313 will provide each participating business and entrepreneur with complimentary access to Shopify, educational programming and resources, grant opportunities, and networking events throughout the 2021 to 2022 NBA season. Select businesses will also be given complimentary access to Pistons advertising inventory, including social media posts, in-game signage, radio advertisements during game broadcasts, presence on Pistons.com and the Pistons App, concourse activation space, and more.

To launch the SHOP313 initiative, the Detroit Pistons produced an exclusive video featuring Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart. The trio visited local Detroit small businesses, interacted with customers, and got behind the counter to showcase their own small business operating skills.  Bey visited lemonade shop Bea’s Squeeze, while Hayes visited downtown clothing store Detroit is the New Black, and Stewart spent the day at local ice cream shop The Custard Company. The video can be viewed here.

Pistons Chief Business Officer Mike Zavodsky lauded SHOP313 as a partnership between two industry-leading brands to showcase and support Detroit’s talented small business and entrepreneur community.

“The Detroit Pistons and Shopify share a commitment to promoting and supporting small businesses throughout their communities. We are thrilled to team up with them to launch SHOP313,” said Zavodsky. “Detroit is full of creators and innovators. SHOP313 will provide regional entrepreneurs with a platform to achieve a new level of brand awareness and success in the marketplace.”

“Shopify believes the future of Detroit is entrepreneurship. We’re proud to partner with the Detroit Pistons to support those shaping that future for themselves and for their community,” said Ritu Khanna, Managing Director, US East at Shopify.

To be eligible for the SHOP313 platform, businesses and entrepreneurs must be founded in and/or operating in the Detroit area, be an independent, non-franchised business, be formally incorporated, and must formally submit their business through the Pistons SHOP313 application, which can be found at Pistons.com/shop313.

Additionally, RingCentral will be supporting the SHOP313 platform by providing access to business communication resources and contributing $60,000 in grants and complimentary MVP (meeting, video, & phone) subscriptions for select businesses.

The Detroit Pistons have utilized Shopify as their e-commerce platform for Pistons313Shop.com, which launched in November of 2020.

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