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During last week's Shopify Editions Winter 2024, Shopify unveiled multiple new updates and features designed to simplify processes, optimize business operations, and usher in a new era of e-commerce. At Zapiet, we've carefully reviewed all the listed updates and want to highlight those that impressed us the most. We hope this article will shed light on features you may have missed or not fully explored.
Let’s get started!
AI-Powered Updates
On top of last year's introduction of the Shopify Magic tool, which helps merchants quickly generate descriptive page content indexed by Google, this year Shopify has introduced an AI-enabled image editing feature. This feature allows Shopify merchants to generate professional product images quickly and effortlessly. With this powerful tool, store owners can change and replace image backgrounds to match their store's style, delivering high-quality product photos that captivate their customers.
Another notable update powered by AI is Semantic Search – an AI-powered search function that helps store owners convert potential customers into actual ones faster by understanding the intent behind a search query. It allows customers to use simpler, more natural language while still receiving broad and relevant results.
For instance, instead of searching for "winter caps for women," customers can now simply say "women's winter clothes for heads" and receive a comprehensive list of relevant products.
And that's not all! Shopify continues to improve Sidekick – the personal AI assistant that helps merchants manage their stores in the most efficient way possible. However, it's not solely about AI; there are plenty of other updates that can help increase conversions, enrich customer experiences, and elevate the store to new heights.
Let’s delve deeper!
As Glen Coates mentioned in the walkthrough demo, this year’s editions are all about laying strong foundations. Shopify aimed to introduce new capabilities to strengthen commerce foundations and meet the diverse needs of store owners.
One major addition is the ability to develop more complex products and catalogs, enabling Shopify merchants to easily create and merchandise their products.
Product Variants with Support for 2000 Options
Previously, Shopify limited the number of variants to 100. Now, with a new API release, Shopify supports up to 2000 variants, empowering merchants to customize their product catalogs extensively.
Shopify Combined Listing App
This app, available in early access for Shopify Plus merchants, allows merchandising of parent products with multiple options. Each option comes with a description, media carousel, and a unique URL. Importantly, all options are listed on the same page, enabling customers to switch between variants seamlessly.
Updated Product Taxonomy
This update addresses the way products are created and classified, mapping standard product categories to a rich set of associated attributes. This makes it easier for merchants to manage orders, generate variants, filter products, and integrate them with other channels, increasing their discoverability.
Fulfillable Inventory
This update enables Shopify merchants to show shoppers market-specific, real-time, in-stock inventory based on their region. This feature aims to enrich the customer experience and increase satisfaction.
Checkout Extensibility
This feature allows you to customise your checkout using apps integrated with Shopify, speeding up the checkout process and improving customer experiences.
For example, by integrating the Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery checkout extension widget, Shopify merchants can offer flexible pickup, delivery, and shipping methods, making customer journeys faster and more intuitive, reducing purchase times, and minimizing cart abandonment. Read more in our Checkout extension article.
With 14 new checkout APIs, Shopify merchants can also customize their checkouts to match their store's style.
Now, imagine selling a product that doesn’t fit, and the customer needs to return it, possibly leading to a loss in revenue if they don't reorder. This is where the new Exchanges feature comes in. Along with providing a great post-purchase experience, this feature allows merchants to retain shoppers by enabling them to exchange one product for another with modified options. It's available now through a new setting page called Features Test Drive for Plus Merchants, allowing staff to be trained and the feature to be tested before rolling it out to production.
Lastly, Customer Account Extensibility helps developers build extensions to create a smooth login experience for both merchants and customers, facilitating engagement and reengagement after purchases.
The updates listed above represent just a fraction of the latest updates and features released by Shopify during this Winter Editions. We're excited to explore them further and see how they can contribute to the success of merchants.
We hope you've found some intriguing updates for your store to empower your business and strengthen customer relationships.
For more updates, visit the Shopify Editions Winter 2024 page. Share your opinions on the recent updates! We’d love to hear from you on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
