diff --git a/apps/api/app/admin/stores.rb b/apps/api/app/admin/stores.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66922fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/app/admin/stores.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+ActiveAdmin.register Store do
+  permit_params :name, :catalog_url, :store_repository_url
+
+  menu priority: 5, label: "🛒 Stores"
+
+  index do
+    selectable_column
+    id_column
+    column :name
+    column :catalog_url do |store|
+      link_to store.catalog_url, store.catalog_url, target: "_blank", rel: "noopener"
+    end
+    column :store_repository_url do |store|
+      link_to store.store_repository_url, store.store_repository_url, target: "_blank", rel: "noopener"
+    end
+    column :updated_at
+    actions
+  end
+
+  filter :name
+  filter :catalog_url
+  filter :store_repository_url
+
+  show do
+    attributes_table do
+      row :id
+      row :name
+      row :catalog_url do |store|
+        link_to store.catalog_url, store.catalog_url, target: "_blank", rel: "noopener"
+      end
+      row :store_repository_url do |store|
+        link_to store.store_repository_url, store.store_repository_url, target: "_blank", rel: "noopener"
+      end
+      row :created_at
+      row :updated_at
+    end
+    para do
+      "Listed by GET /api/stores, which the desktop client reads on first run: it " \
+        "takes the config from the store repository and points it at the catalog above."
+    end
+  end
+
+  form do |f|
+    f.inputs do
+      f.input :name, hint: "What the client shows in its store picker"
+      f.input :catalog_url, hint: "Base URL of the WarpEngine catalog, e.g. https://teletypegames.org"
+      f.input :store_repository_url,
+              hint: "Repository holding the store's config.json, e.g. " \
+                    "https://git.teletypegames.org/stores/ttg-desktop-store"
+    end
+    f.actions
+  end
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/app/controllers/api/stores_controller.rb b/apps/api/app/controllers/api/stores_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1b38c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/app/controllers/api/stores_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+class Api::StoresController < ApiController
+  resource_description do
+    short "Stores"
+  end
+
+  api :GET, "/api/stores", "List the stores a client can install from"
+  desc <<~DESC
+    The registry the graphical desktop client reads on first run: which catalogs
+    exist, and where each one's store configuration lives. Public on purpose —
+    a client has nobody to log in as.
+  DESC
+  returns code: 200, desc: "Array of stores" do
+    property :name, String, desc: "Display name of the store"
+    property :catalogUrl, String, desc: "Base URL of the WarpEngine catalog it serves"
+    property :storeRepositoryUrl, String, desc: "Repository holding the store's config.json"
+  end
+  def index
+    render json: StoreService.new.index
+  end
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/app/models/store.rb b/apps/api/app/models/store.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f207a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/app/models/store.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# A store a client can install from: a WarpEngine catalog, and the repository
+# holding the store's own configuration.
+#
+# This is deliberately not part of WarpEngine. The engine serves one catalog and
+# has no business knowing which stores exist for it; the registry is a property of
+# this site, which is what the graphical client asks.
+class Store < ApplicationRecord
+  URL = %r{\Ahttps?://\S+\z}
+
+  validates :name, presence: true
+  validates :catalog_url, presence: true, format: { with: URL, message: "must be an http(s) URL" }
+  validates :store_repository_url, presence: true, format: { with: URL, message: "must be an http(s) URL" }
+
+  default_scope { where(deleted_at: nil) }
+
+  scope :ordered, -> { order(:name) }
+
+  def self.ransackable_attributes(auth_object = nil)
+    %w[id name catalog_url store_repository_url created_at updated_at]
+  end
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/app/serializers/store_serializer.rb b/apps/api/app/serializers/store_serializer.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d95252
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/app/serializers/store_serializer.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+class StoreSerializer < Blueprinter::Base
+  include WarpEngine::TimestampFields
+
+  field :name
+  # camelCase, as the catalog's own payloads use — one convention for a client
+  # that reads both.
+  field(:catalogUrl) { |store| store.catalog_url }
+  field(:storeRepositoryUrl) { |store| store.store_repository_url }
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/app/services/store_service.rb b/apps/api/app/services/store_service.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30a498d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/app/services/store_service.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class StoreService
+  def index
+    StoreSerializer.render_as_hash(Store.ordered)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/config/routes.rb b/apps/api/config/routes.rb
index a28fed6..9e21b35 100644
--- a/apps/api/config/routes.rb
+++ b/apps/api/config/routes.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Rails.application.routes.draw do
     get "swagger",              to: "swagger#index"
     get "events",               to: "events#index"
     get "members",              to: "members#index"
+    get "stores",               to: "stores#index"
     get "wiki/pages",           to: "wiki#index"
     get "rss/blog",             to: "rss#blog"
     get "rss/releases",         to: "rss#releases"
diff --git a/apps/api/db/migrate/20260818000001_create_stores.rb b/apps/api/db/migrate/20260818000001_create_stores.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34a66dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/db/migrate/20260818000001_create_stores.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+class CreateStores < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.1]
+  def change
+    create_table :stores, id: { type: :bigint, unsigned: true },
+                          charset: "utf8mb4", collation: "utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci",
+                          if_not_exists: true do |t|
+      # A store is a WarpEngine catalog plus the repository that configures a
+      # client for it. The registry lives here rather than in the engine: the
+      # engine serves one catalog and knows nothing about who ships stores for it.
+      t.string   :name,                 null: false
+      t.string   :catalog_url,          null: false
+      t.string   :store_repository_url, null: false
+      t.datetime :deleted_at, precision: 3
+      t.timestamps            precision: 3
+
+      t.index :deleted_at, name: "idx_stores_deleted_at"
+      t.index :name,       name: "idx_stores_name"
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/db/schema.rb b/apps/api/db/schema.rb
index 505e7bd..1b4b1a9 100644
--- a/apps/api/db/schema.rb
+++ b/apps/api/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[8.1].define(version: 2026_08_06_000002) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[8.1].define(version: 2026_08_18_000001) do
   create_table "admin_users", charset: "utf8mb4", collation: "utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci", force: :cascade do |t|
     t.datetime "created_at", null: false
     t.datetime "deleted_at", precision: 3
@@ -281,6 +281,17 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema[8.1].define(version: 2026_08_06_000002) do
     t.index ["owner_type", "owner_id"], name: "idx_softwares_owner"
   end
 
+  create_table "stores", id: { type: :bigint, unsigned: true }, charset: "utf8mb4", collation: "utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci", force: :cascade do |t|
+    t.string "catalog_url", null: false
+    t.datetime "created_at", precision: 3, null: false
+    t.datetime "deleted_at", precision: 3
+    t.string "name", null: false
+    t.string "store_repository_url", null: false
+    t.datetime "updated_at", precision: 3, null: false
+    t.index ["deleted_at"], name: "idx_stores_deleted_at"
+    t.index ["name"], name: "idx_stores_name"
+  end
+
   add_foreign_key "admin_users", "members"
   add_foreign_key "downloads", "releases", name: "fk_downloads_release", on_delete: :nullify
   add_foreign_key "external_links", "softwares", name: "fk_softwares_external_links", on_delete: :cascade
diff --git a/apps/api/db/seeds.rb b/apps/api/db/seeds.rb
index 1b58a37..c2df4ef 100644
--- a/apps/api/db/seeds.rb
+++ b/apps/api/db/seeds.rb
@@ -15,3 +15,14 @@ end
     m.avatar_filename = attrs[:avatar_filename]
   end
 end
+
+# The store registry the graphical desktop client reads. Our own catalog is the
+# first record; anyone running this site would add their own the same way, from
+# the admin panel or here.
+Store.find_or_create_by!(name: "Teletype Games") do |store|
+  store.catalog_url          = ENV.fetch("STORE_CATALOG_URL", "https://teletypegames.org")
+  store.store_repository_url = ENV.fetch(
+    "STORE_REPOSITORY_URL",
+    "https://git.teletypegames.org/stores/ttg-desktop-store"
+  )
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/spec/controllers/stores_controller_spec.rb b/apps/api/spec/controllers/stores_controller_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21bf238
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/spec/controllers/stores_controller_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe Api::StoresController, type: :request do
+  describe "GET /api/stores" do
+    it "lists stores without a login, in name order" do
+      create(:store, name: "Zed Games", catalog_url: "https://zed.example")
+      create(:store, name: "Apex Games", catalog_url: "https://apex.example")
+
+      get "/api/stores"
+
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(json.map { |s| s["name"] }).to eq(["Apex Games", "Zed Games"])
+    end
+
+    it "answers with the fields a client needs, camelCased" do
+      create(:store)
+
+      get "/api/stores"
+
+      store = JSON.parse(response.body).first
+      expect(store).to include("name", "catalogUrl", "storeRepositoryUrl")
+      expect(store["catalogUrl"]).to eq("https://teletypegames.org")
+      expect(store["storeRepositoryUrl"]).to end_with("/stores/ttg-desktop-store")
+    end
+
+    it "leaves out soft-deleted stores" do
+      create(:store, name: "Gone").update!(deleted_at: Time.current)
+
+      get "/api/stores"
+
+      expect(JSON.parse(response.body)).to be_empty
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/spec/factories/stores.rb b/apps/api/spec/factories/stores.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c13046a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/spec/factories/stores.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+FactoryBot.define do
+  factory :store do
+    name { "Teletype Games" }
+    catalog_url { "https://teletypegames.org" }
+    store_repository_url { "https://git.teletypegames.org/stores/ttg-desktop-store" }
+  end
+end
diff --git a/apps/api/spec/models/store_spec.rb b/apps/api/spec/models/store_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3bc387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/spec/models/store_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe Store, type: :model do
+  it { should validate_presence_of(:name) }
+  it { should validate_presence_of(:catalog_url) }
+  it { should validate_presence_of(:store_repository_url) }
+
+  it "rejects a catalog url that is not http(s)" do
+    store = build(:store, catalog_url: "git@example.org:thing.git")
+    expect(store).not_to be_valid
+    expect(store.errors[:catalog_url]).to include("must be an http(s) URL")
+  end
+
+  it "rejects a repository url that is not http(s)" do
+    expect(build(:store, store_repository_url: "not a url")).not_to be_valid
+  end
+
+  describe ".ordered" do
+    it "lists stores by name" do
+      later = create(:store, name: "Zed Games")
+      first = create(:store, name: "Apex Games")
+
+      expect(Store.ordered).to eq([first, later])
+    end
+  end
+
+  it "hides soft-deleted stores" do
+    store = create(:store)
+    store.update!(deleted_at: Time.current)
+
+    expect(Store.all).to be_empty
+  end
+end