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27 Jul, 2023
Shopify Editions Summer 2023: Exciting new updates
As we venture into this season of updates from Shopify and following some pretty epic news in the headless space over the past year, our team at Flight has been pumped to see what they've got for us this time.
These biannual editions are eagerly anticipated not just by us, but by merchants, partners, and developers globally. They supply the essential tools and products to help us navigate the ever-changing landscape of consumer needs and the dynamic and ever-evolving world of e-commerce.
Reflecting on 2022, we experienced the introduction of the first Editions, 'Connect to Consumer', which accentuated the importance of enabling merchants to create and enhance connections with their customers. Subsequently, the Winter Editions, 'Built to Last', zeroed in on product updates, assisting businesses and developers in creating experiences with staying power. Now, we're all curious to see what the Summer 2023 Editions have in store. What can Shopify partners, like us at Flight, anticipate? Let's explore.
The latest offerings from Shopify aim to revolutionise the future of commerce by introducing fresh tools for merchants. It's a pretty big read, which you can check out here. But for those who just want the key features, we've got you. Let's dive in.
1. Product Variants 👙
Shopify now allows over 100 product variants, a boon for brands with many product combinations, like lingerie brands with multiple sizes and colours.
2. Custom Landing Pages 🤌
The creation of unique content templates is simpler with Shopify's new custom landing page feature. Using metaobjects, businesses can build structured design elements for their stores. This is beneficial for businesses on a tight budget, although a design team is still recommended for complex creations.
3. Sidekick 👀
Shopify's new commerce assistant, Sidekick, is your personal assistant for tasks like workflows and research. Ideal for entrepreneurs, Sidekick is part of any Shopify subscription.
4. Product Bundles 🔥
With the new Shopify Bundles app, businesses can create diverse range of bundled products, from multi-packs to fixed bundles.
We'll go a little deeper on this one for our bundles clients: So Shopify’s latest free first-party bundles app provides a diverse range of bundled product opportunities, including multi-packs and fixed bundles. However, for more advanced requirements like mix-and-match bundles, Shopify still recommends using one of the updated bundle apps in the Shopify App Store or, if you’re on Shopify Plus, build a custom bundle offering using their Shopify Functions APIs.
Use case: The Shopify Bundles App benefits brands of all sizes wanting to increase their Average Order Value, enhance product discovery, or clear inventory by creating bundled offers. The Bundles API also provides flexibility for advanced customization through the opportunity to build unique and tailored bundle offerings that cater to specific market demands.
5. Interest-Free Payment Plans 💸
Shopify's new Shop Pay Installments offers interest-free payments for a maximum of 12 months and monthly installments for up to 24 months, enabling businesses to attract customers who prefer to spread their payments over time.
6. Shopify Magic ✨
This suite of AI-powered features supports content creation and customer responses. This tool is ideal for small brands that need support, but not necessary for larger brands with established teams.
7. Flexible Sections in Online Store Editor 🧘
This feature allows businesses to create unique store layouts quickly and easily, offering a dynamic response to market trends and promotions.
8. Shopify Subscriptions 📫
The new Shopify Subscriptions app integrates directly with the Shopify admin, allowing business owners to create and manage subscription products in one place.
9. Shopify Marketplace Connect 🚀
This allows businesses to integrate their Shopify product catalog with marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Etsy, expanding their reach.
10. Checkout Extensions 🛒
Shopify Checkout now includes a one-page checkout to speed up the checkout process and prevent cart abandonment.
11. B2B on Shopify 🤝
New features have been added to streamline the B2B ordering process and enhance customer experience.
12. Centralisation for Plus Merchants 🙌
Shopify has moved store settings to store admins for better efficiency, allowing businesses to manage their multi-store organizations from one central location.
13. Developer Updates👩💻
These include address validation in checkout, updated Shopify Functions, app-owned meta fields, server-side validations in cart and checkout, and more.
And that’s a wrap on Editions Summer 2023!
The latest edition focused on reimagining businesses and the use of AI in commerce, with the introduction of features like Shopify Magic and Sidekick. However, improvements to the new Checkout to enhance customisation were lacking. Nevertheless, Shopify continues to provide new tools to succeed in e-commerce. As a Shopify Partner and specialist Headless E-commerce agency, we're keen to use these features to enhance our clients and their customers' experiences.
