News
Everything you need to know about the .shop early access program
The grand opening of the .shop - the global home of ecommerce - is almost upon us! Next Thursday September 1 at 15:00 UTC, we throw open the gates and warmly invite all to participate in the .shop Early Access Program. Everything you need to know about where, when how and why of the .shop Early Access Program is right here.
.shop is domain names for anyone, anywhere with something to sell. Ecommerce businesses have a natural affinity with .shop, but its potential extends far beyond. .shop is also a great choice for other online businesses including digital content and ecommerce solutions providers as well as the burgeoning B2B ecommerce market. The .shop TLD is equally relevant for offline shops looking to establish a web presence or offline services such as a dry cleaner or day spa. There are no eligibility restrictions to registering a name in .shop, so there is no requirement that the registrant is a shop. A .shop domain name could also be used for product review sites, shopping related blogs or shopping travel guides.
Why participate in the .shop EAP?
Brands
For brands that have already secured their trademark.shop during Sunrise, EAP is a great opportunity to pick-up generic terms relevant to your business.
New ecommerce businesses
If you are a new ecommerce business or even an existing offline business then EAP is the perfect time to pick a catchy, relevant name for a competitive advantage in marketing and branding right from the start.
Existing ecommerce businesses
Even businesses that are happy with their current primary online address, could supplement their online presence with a .shop domain name for promotions or other special events.
Brandable Names
The .shop EAP is a great time to pick out a name that you can build a business around because of the many, many options to choose from.
What is the Timeline?
Unlike other new gTLDs the .shop EAP runs for 26 days. This extended period is aimed at accommodating strong demand for .shop domain names. We want to make sure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to participate.
Each stage opens at 15:00 (UTC) and closes at 14:59 (UTC). Dates are as follows:
Stage 1: September 1 - September 3
Stage 2: September 3 - September 6
Stage 3: September 6 - September 10
Stage 4: September 10 - September 14
Stage 5: September 14 - September 18
Stage 6: September 18 - September 22
Stage 7: September 22 - September 26
Where Can I Participate?
.shop accredited registrars are listed on the get.shop website here: http://get.shop/registrars/