Animated, smiling and brimming with excitement, Harley Finkelstein does not exude the air of a man running a business in the midst of a global pandemic. 

The positivity from the president of Canadian ecommerce platform Shopify is palpable – and a refreshing change from the tone of many retailers battling to navigate the current crisis. 

It’s no wonder Finkelstein is so chipper. Shopify’s star is soaring as it helps retailers cope with the unprecedented level of online demand during the pandemic. Last quarter alone an eye-watering $30bn gross merchandise volume was spent across Shopify’s network of websites.