History of the TLD

.shopping is a generic top-level domain created through ICANN’s new gTLD expansion and was introduced around 2016. It was designed to provide a clear namespace for websites focused on shopping, retail, and e-commerce. The TLD has been operated under Identity Digital since delegation into the DNS root zone.

Main Use and Industry Position

This extension is used by online stores, retailers, marketplaces, and businesses that want to signal a shopping or retail focus in their domain name. It is suitable for a wide range of e-commerce sites from niche product sellers to larger retail brands seeking descriptive, industry-specific naming.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared with generic TLDs like .com or .net, .shopping provides immediate context that a website is related to retail and shopping. It is similar to industry-focused extensions such as .store or .shop, but the full word “shopping” can make a site’s purpose even clearer to visitors. Legacy extensions remain more familiar to general audiences but do not convey this level of specificity.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Strong descriptive relevance for retail and shopping sites

• Helps with branding and user expectation

• Open registration with no special eligibility requirements

Cons

• Less widely recognised than legacy TLDs like .com

• Some audiences unfamiliar with new gTLDs may perceive lower trust

• Renewal pricing can vary between registrars
  
  

Registration Criteria

There are no special eligibility requirements to register a .shopping domain beyond standard naming rules. Anyone can register on a first-come, first-served basis.

Summary

.shopping is a dedicated generic TLD for shopping and e-commerce. It provides clear branding for retail-oriented sites and is available broadly to businesses and individuals following standard registry policy.