Headless E-Commerce Starters for Next.js

In the headless approach, there are no themes in the traditional sense, but you don't necessarily have to start from scratch.

In a traditional online shop or content website built with monolithic tools or SaaS providers, themes are typically used.

For example, with Shopify or WordPress, there are numerous themes available. You choose one, click install, and the shop looks as the theme dictates.

A theme usually offers certain customization options, such as incorporating your own logo.

A theme can also be customized in the code if needed.

The vast selection of various themes is one of the major advantages over a headless approach.

In a headless online shop, you don't install a theme. Instead, you essentially develop your frontend completely on your own.

You don't install it either; rather, you integrate it by connecting the APIs of your backend systems.

And this is much more effort.

However, there are now more and more starting points to begin.

You don't get themes but starters. Essentially, it's a functional frontend, although usually not as extensive in functionality, on which you can start building. Or simply as a source of inspiration and a copy & paste basis for your custom storefront.

Some starters I use in the Next.js context are these:

• The E-Commerce Starter Kit from Vercel
• Medusa.js starter for Next.js
• Enterprise Commerce Starter from Blazity
• The StorefrontUI from Alokai (formerly Vuestorefront)

These are my sources of inspiration.

However, I still build the frontend completely on my own. Only then do I get exactly what I want and only what I need.