How PIRAL Turned $100 into a Seven-Figure Fashion Brand with Shopify Capital

PIRAL’s Journey from Basement Startup to Seven Figures

In early 2019, Mehtap Piral launched a women’s fashion label with just $100 worth of denim inventory and a basic Shopify site. Operating out of a shared basement apartment, she spent nights poring over sales data and evenings running social media ads. Despite selling out product after product, she ran into a familiar hurdle: no cash to restock her top sellers.

The Inventory Funding Crunch

By month six, PIRAL had attracted a steady flow of customers, but every sale only pointed to the same problem—the next launch was understocked. Traditional banks requested collateral she didn’t have, and investors wanted equity she wasn’t ready to give up. Meanwhile, ad spend on Instagram and Facebook ate into her personal savings as she juggled a full-time job and nights of order fulfillment. Something had to change.

How Shopify Capital Changed the Game

When Mehtap spotted an offer for Shopify Capital in her admin dashboard, she decided to apply. Within days she had a merchant cash advance that she immediately used to triple her inventory orders. With more stock on hand, ads finally converted without wasted spend. Weekly product drops expanded from one style to three, and each launch fueled extra revenue that enabled higher ad budgets.

Scaling the Team and Offering

Fueled by consistent sales, PIRAL hired three full-time staffers in design, customer service, and shipping. The extra hands meant faster restocks—critical when a celebrity post in late 2021 sent a sweatshirt viral. Thanks to available funds, PIRAL snapped up more units to satisfy the surge, rather than watching customers click away.

Results That Speak Volumes

In the year before Shopify Capital, PIRAL generated $200,000 in revenue. After the first round of capital, revenue jumped to $500,000, and in the following cycle, PIRAL surpassed $1,000,000 in annual sales. Employee headcount quadrupled, weekly product drops tripled, and the brand cemented loyalty through reliable restocks and fresh styles each week.

What You Can Take Away

PIRAL’s story shows that even a micro-investment can yield massive returns with the right funding partner. Understanding what sells, reinvesting quickly, and using data to guide ad spending were vital. Ultimately, Shopify Capital unlocked the working capital she needed to grow without giving up ownership.