diff --git a/changes/2856.feature.md b/changes/2856.feature.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8769639726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/2856.feature.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Opening a string or Path path is redirected to ZipStore if the path has a .zip suffix.
diff --git a/docs/quick-start.md b/docs/quick-start.md
index 0bad4f2e34..d8dbab805a 100644
--- a/docs/quick-start.md
+++ b/docs/quick-start.md
@@ -148,11 +148,14 @@ z[:, :] = np.random.random((100, 100))
 store.close()
 ```
 
-To open an existing array from a ZIP file:
+To open an existing array from a ZIP file you can open it with the usual function or by explicitly opening the `ZipStore` first :
 
 ```python exec="true" session="quickstart" source="above" result="code"
 
-# Open the ZipStore in read-only mode
+# Using the convenience functions, opening in read-only mode
+z = zarr.open_array("data/example-5.zip", mode='r')
+
+# Using a ZipStore in read-only mode
 store = zarr.storage.ZipStore("data/example-5.zip", read_only=True)
 
 z = zarr.open_array(store, mode='r')
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/storage.md b/docs/user-guide/storage.md
index d5f840ab4b..74b823d6ba 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide/storage.md
+++ b/docs/user-guide/storage.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ print(group)
 `StoreLike` values can be:
 
 - a `Path` or string indicating a location on the local file system.
-  This will create a [local store](#local-store):
+  This will create a [local store](#local-store), unless the file name endswith the ".zip" suffix, in which case it creates a [zip store](#zip-store):
    ```python exec="true" session="storage" source="above" result="ansi"
    group = zarr.open_group(store='data/foo/bar')
    print(group)
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ print(group)
    group = zarr.open_group(store=Path('data/foo/bar'))
    print(group)
    ```
+   ```python exec="true" session="storage" source="above" result="ansi"
+   group = zarr.open_group(Path('data/foo.zip'), mode='w')
+   print(group)
+   ```
 
 - an FSSpec URI string, indicating a [remote store](#remote-store) location:
    ```python exec="true" session="storage" source="above" result="ansi"
diff --git a/src/zarr/storage/_common.py b/src/zarr/storage/_common.py
index 1e13a9ac3f..5aa3239526 100644
--- a/src/zarr/storage/_common.py
+++ b/src/zarr/storage/_common.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 from zarr.storage._local import LocalStore
 from zarr.storage._memory import ManagedMemoryStore, MemoryStore
 from zarr.storage._utils import _join_paths, normalize_path, parse_store_url
+from zarr.storage._zip import ZipStore
 
 _has_fsspec = importlib.util.find_spec("fsspec")
 if _has_fsspec:
@@ -318,7 +319,8 @@ async def make_store(
     `StoreLike` objects are converted to `Store` as follows:
 
     - `Store` or `StorePath` = `Store` object.
-    - `Path` or `str` = `LocalStore` object.
+    - `Path` or `str` with a .zip suffix = `ZipStore` object.
+    - other `Path` or `str` = `LocalStore` object.
     - `str` that starts with a protocol = `FsspecStore` object.
     - `dict[str, Buffer]` = `MemoryStore` object.
     - `None` = `MemoryStore` object.
@@ -383,6 +385,10 @@ async def make_store(
         # Create a new in-memory store
         return await make_store({}, mode=mode, storage_options=storage_options)
 
+    elif isinstance(store_like, Path) and store_like.suffix == ".zip":
+        # Create a new LocalStore
+        return await ZipStore.open(path=store_like, mode=mode, read_only=_read_only)
+
     elif isinstance(store_like, Path):
         # Create a new LocalStore
         return await LocalStore.open(root=store_like, mode=mode, read_only=_read_only)
diff --git a/tests/test_store/test_core.py b/tests/test_store/test_core.py
index f2c81b87f9..d5cde0a02a 100644
--- a/tests/test_store/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_store/test_core.py
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Literal
 
+import numpy as np
 import pytest
 from _pytest.compat import LEGACY_PATH
 
 import zarr
-from zarr import Group
+from zarr import Group, open_group
 from zarr.core.buffer import cpu
 from zarr.core.common import ZARR_JSON, AccessModeLiteral, ZarrFormat
 from zarr.storage import FsspecStore, LocalStore, MemoryStore, StoreLike, StorePath, ZipStore
@@ -179,6 +180,36 @@ async def test_make_store_path_local(
     assert store_path.read_only == (mode == "r")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("store_type", [str, Path])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("mode", ["r", "w"])
+async def test_make_store_path_zip_path(
+    tmpdir: LEGACY_PATH,
+    store_type: type[str] | type[Path] | type[LocalStore],
+    mode: AccessModeLiteral,
+) -> None:
+    """
+    Test that make_store_path creates a ZipStore given a path ending in .zip
+    """
+    zippath = Path(tmpdir) / "zarr.zip"
+    store_like = store_type(str(zippath))
+
+    if mode == "r":
+        store = ZipStore(zippath, mode="w")
+        root = open_group(store=store, mode="w")
+        data = np.arange(10000, dtype=np.uint16).reshape(100, 100)
+        z = root.create_array(
+            shape=data.shape, chunks=(10, 10), name="foo", dtype=np.uint16, fill_value=99
+        )
+        z[:] = data
+        store.close()
+
+    store_path = await make_store_path(store_like, mode=mode)
+    assert isinstance(store_path.store, ZipStore)
+    assert Path(store_path.store.path) == zippath
+    assert store_path.path == normalize_path("")
+    assert store_path.read_only == (mode == "r")
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("path", [None, "", "bar"])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("mode", ["r", "w"])
 async def test_make_store_path_store_path(