In a recent Business Bloomer Club Slack thread we commented a discussion on X about simplifying the WooCommerce admin — especially for clients and merchants who find the default interface overwhelming.
The conversation started with SimplyWoo, a new plugin by Tia Wood, which strips WooCommerce down to its essentials via a custom admin menu and UI. Rather than overriding WooCommerce, it adds a parallel admin experience that focuses on clarity and ease of use.
Club members drew comparisons to StoreUI, an earlier attempt at rethinking the merchant interface. While both projects follow different architectural approaches, the goal is shared: make WooCommerce more accessible for users who don’t need its full complexity.
Who is this really for?
That was the key question in both threads. Not all WooCommerce users are developers or advanced power users. A large segment just wants to fulfill orders, update products, and get on with their day. The traditional WordPress admin isn’t exactly optimized for that — as one member put it, it can feel “dated and overwhelming.”
The value of SimplyWoo is in understanding those pain points. Hide what’s unnecessary. Surface daily tasks. Build one screen that contains the tools a merchant actually uses.
Replace, extend, or integrate?
Some developers suggested hiding core menu items like “WooCommerce,” “Products,” or “Marketing” and replacing them with custom UI under the SimplyWoo menu. This allows the plugin to act as a wrapper or dashboard without breaking compatibility.
Others argued for building a standalone interface from scratch — with full control over layout, interaction, and extensibility. Maybe even allowing merchants to rearrange widgets and create their own dashboard experience.
Either way, it’s not just a design challenge — it’s about understanding the user and what “simple” really means in a busy store admin’s day.
StoreUI Is Looking for a New Owner
As of May 2025, StoreUI is actually up for sale. Originally developed by Remy Corson, it aims to offer a modern and simplified WooCommerce experience.
According to Remy’s announcement, the project needs someone new to take it forward. If you’re interested in building tools for store management UI, this might be an opportunity worth exploring.
Final thoughts
There’s growing interest in lightweight WooCommerce admin solutions — not just among developers, but merchants too. Whether you take the path of SimplyWoo, StoreUI, or build something new, the need is clear: reducing complexity is becoming a competitive advantage.
