I really hate posts like these, but they are getting fewer and far between, which in my mind is a good thing. So, let me spew my diatribe about my thoughts concerning all of this.
PrestaShop 1.6 has somewhere around 260k shops using the software. That is a ton of shops. PrestaShop 1.7, being over 2 years old has around 40k shops using the software. For a major software developer releasing a new version, that is not good. Especially when you consider an upstart fork of PrestaShop has almost 30k shops using their software.
With no name, just an idea we came into the marketplace and have almost the same market penetration as PrestaShop 1.7. I would love to say we had 200k shops, but we dont. But, when I am having my coffee in the morning and I look at the install stats from over night, I ask myself are we failing or are they failing? Sure, right now their main released version does have more shops than us. But we are not far behind. And as our budgets would have it, we have spent exact 0 in marketing, something they cannot say.
Themes are something we have had a hard time attracting developers for, I won't try to hide that fact. A big part of the reason is a lot of developers abandoned the whole PrestaShop eco-sphere with their development. A great example is one of PrestaShop main theme partners Template Monster. If you look at their catalog they have 1/6th the themes for 1.7 they have for 1.6. Because the sales are no there with only 40k shops using it.
I would say after the last 3 months or so that the conviction internally about thirty bees has only gotten stronger. We are starting to actually make money, we are staying busy on projects that are setting the ground work for the future of the platform, we are winning.
To close if I were you, I would ask my client this. If PrestaShop is so stable in the marketplace, why did they choose to keep 1.6 updated for another 8 months? Do you think it has anything to do with them not being able to produce a stable 1.7 platform? Or hire the developers with the talent they need to bring stability to 1.7? Or maybe they need a cash infusion at this point. Something is needed, they cannot keep their API online which it taking shops across the world offline.
I would like to give you a challenge though. Get on the PrestaShop forum, post the same thing. Wait, and wait. Wait and see how long it takes for someone that works, owns, or is a high level person at PrestaShop, to give you an answer. Or to even acknowledge that you are alive.