Shopify Winter ’24 Editions: Key Updates Simplified
Shopify has just rolled out its Winter 2024 updates, and there’s a lot to unpack! This latest release contains enhancements designed to boost your online store’s performance, streamline operations, and elevate the shopping experience. Whether you’re a seasoned merchant or new to the platform, understanding these updates is key to leveraging Shopify’s full potential.
In this blog, we’ll simplify the Winter 2024 updates, breaking down the key features and updates. Get ready to discover how these changes can transform your e-commerce journey.
Key Features & Updates
1. Up to 2000 Product Variants
Shopify has unveiled new product APIs that enable you to offer up to 2,000 variants per product. Previously limited to 100 variants, this significant leap forward means you can now showcase an extensive range of options for each item in your catalog. Currently in developer preview, this update is a game-changer for merchants with complex catalogs.
2. Shopify Combined Listings
This tool is going to come in handy if you are selling products in various colors or styles. Here’s how it simplifies your life:
Single Parent Listing
Instead of creating separate listings for each product variant, you can now group them under one parent listing. This means less clutter and more organized product pages.
Unique Descriptions and Media
Each variation gets its own description and media gallery. So you can tailor the information and visuals for each variant.
Dedicated URLs for Variants
Every variation has its own URL. This is great for SEO.
Imagine you’re selling a t-shirt that comes in three colors. Instead of managing three separate product pages, you handle just one. Each color variation can have its own detailed description, set of images, and direct link. This not only saves you time but also makes your store more navigable for customers.
3. shopify Taxonomy Update for Simplified Product Listing
The Shopify Editions: Winter 2024 introduces an updated taxonomy system designed to simplify how you create, classify, and organize your products. Here’s what it means for you:
Easy Product Setup
When you add products, Shopify’s smarter system suggests the right categories and attributes. It’s like having a helper that knows exactly where everything should go.
Quick Sorting
Easily classify your products into categories. This system helps you ensure that your products are properly organized, making it simpler for customers to find what they’re looking for.
Auto-create Variants
Adding different sizes or colors? Shopify now does the heavy lifting for you, creating these options automatically based on the product’s category.
Let’s say you’re selling sneakers. With this update, you tell Shopify it’s a sneaker, and it’ll suggest everything from sizes to colors. You get a clean, organized shop with less work, making it a breeze for customers to shop and for you to manage.
4. AI-Powered Search and Enhanced Filters
Smarter Searches with Semantic Search
This AI-driven feature looks beyond just keywords. It grasps what your customers are really searching for, even when they use natural language or phrases. For example: if a customer types in something like “comfy summer shoes,” the search understands and delivers precisely that.
Visual Filters for Swatches
Customers can now filter products by colors, patterns, or materials directly from the collection and search result pages.
Custom Filter Logic
Layered Filtering
Customers can combine different filter values to refine their search. This means they can look for products that meet very specific criteria, like finding a jacket that is both “waterproof” and “insulated”.
Adaptable Filter Displays
You can set up your store to handle situations where filters might lead to no available products. This could mean suggesting related products or simply letting customers know their specific combination didn’t match any products, but they can try a broader search.
5. Subscription Options
Shopify has made it easier for you to offer more to your customers with two key updates. First, the new Free Subscriptions App lets you easily set up subscription options for your products right from the Shopify admin. This means your customers can adjust or pause their subscriptions as needed, which is great for keeping them happy and subscribed.
Plus, you can now create bigger and better bundles, with the limit raised to 30 products instead of just 10. And if you’re using Shopify Scripts, you can tailor these bundles even further. For example, you could set up a script that adds a discount automatically once a customer’s bundle hits a certain size, encouraging them to buy more.
6. Easy-to-Use Discounts on Shopify
The new Shopify update has made offering discounts to your customers easier and more effective than ever. Here’s how you can now give your shoppers more reasons to buy:
More Ways to Save
You can create discounts that automatically apply at checkout or use codes that customers can enter to get deals. Plus, you can mix these discounts in a single order, letting your customers get the best possible savings.
Keep Custom Details Through to Sale
When you set up an order for a customer, any special instructions or customizations they’ve requested will stay with the order, making sure nothing gets lost in translation.
Savings Transparency
Customers can now see exactly how much they’ve saved right in their cart view.
For example: Imagine you run a coffee shop online. You decide to offer a special where anyone buying two bags of coffee gets a third bag at half price, and if they enter a special code, they also get free shipping. A customer orders three bags and uses the code. They see exactly how much they’re saving directly in their cart.
7. Checkout Experience
Checkout Customization
With Checkout Extensibility, you now have 14 new APIs and UI components at your disposal, allowing for deep customization. This includes enhancements to the “Thank You” and Order Status pages, exclusive to Shopify Plus.
Streamlined Checkout
The new one-page checkout design simplifies the buying process, shaving off an average of 4 seconds from the completion time. Plus, checkout loading speeds have soared by up to 95%.
Shop Pay Installments
The Purchasing Power feature enables customers to see estimated loan amounts right on the product page, empowering them to complete purchases with confidence.
Flexible Payment Captures for Multiple Shipments
For orders requiring several shipments, payments can now be automatically captured as each part is fulfilled, streamlining your logistics.
Personalized Gifting
You can now enable customers to add a recipient’s name, and a greeting message, and schedule the gift card delivery.
Sustainable Shipping with Planet App
Attract eco-conscious shoppers by offering carbon-neutral shipping options through the Planet app, helping to build brand loyalty and make a positive environmental impact.
8. B2B Offerings on Shopify
Custom Roles & Controlled Access
You can now define different access levels for sales managers and sales reps. You can set permissions so sales reps only access orders and customer information relevant to their accounts.
Partial Payments
Record partial payments made through off-platform methods like checks and bank transfers directly in the admin. Also, paid and outstanding balances are visible for each order. Available for both B2B and D2C orders.
Non-physical Products
Shopify now supports non-physical products for B2B including digital downloads, warranties, and services.
9. Shopify Marketplace Connect Updates
Real-Time Inventory Sync
Automatically update your inventory across various marketplaces in real-time, directly from the fulfillment locations. Whether you’re selling on Amazon, Walmart, or eBay across different regions, your stock levels adjust instantly as sales happen.
Simplified Apparel Listings on Amazon
Listing apparel on Amazon just got easier. Now you only need to configure a minimal set of fields, and the tool will automatically fill in the extensive range of required fields for you.
10. Inventory Match With Region
The “Fulfillable Inventory” feature in Shopify’s Winter Editions 2024 revolutionizes how you manage inventory for different markets. By matching your inventory locations with specific shipping zones, you can ensure that customers only see products available for shipment to their area.
For instance, a customer in Canada will only see products stocked in your Canada warehouse, making for a smoother, more reliable shopping journey. This precision targeting simplifies logistics and enhances customer experience.
11. Influencer Partnerships
Enhanced Discovery Tools
With new location and audience filters, plus search options, finding the perfect creators across social platforms is now a breeze. Utilize in-network tags for precision targeting or swiftly navigate through applicants, saved profiles, and pending invites to find your ideal collaboration partner.
Streamlined Approval Process
Search for creators by name, sort applications by date, or filter by country. Bulk accept or decline applicants to make your approval process more efficient with Shopify Collabs.
Organized Creator Management
View all creator connections in one place with a streamlined table that lets you sort by affiliate tier, tags, or sales-driven.
Efficient Payment Processing
Pay creators easily through Shopify Billing. This feature not only automates commission payments but also ensures accuracy by adjusting commissions for refunded orders, saving you time and hassle.
Custom Commissions
Adjust commission rates for influencers based on whether they’re bringing in new customers or repeat buyers. You have the freedom to set different rates for different types of sales, ensuring your marketing budget is used effectively.
12. AI-Powered Updates
AI-Enabled Image Editing
With AI technology, you can instantly alter the backgrounds of product images using simple clicks or keywords. Expected to be available in early 2024, this tool is designed to democratize high-quality product presentation for all users.
Sidekick, Your Shopify Advisor
Sidekick is an AI-driven advisor that provides personalized, expert advice to merchants like you. It will guide you through the Shopify platform, offering recommendations and insights to optimize your store.
Automated Content Creation with AI
The Shopify Magic feature can automatically generate content for essential website pages, such as ‘About Us’ or ‘FAQs,’ helping merchants build trust and connect with their customers through compelling and relevant information.
13. Enhanced Privacy Tools
Shopify’s latest update introduces intuitive privacy and consent management tools, making it simpler for you to secure and manage your customers’ data. Now, all privacy settings are centralized on a single page, where you’ll also find recommendations on which settings to activate for optimal privacy protection. Plus, these settings can be tailored by region, ensuring you meet the specific privacy regulations of each area you operate in.
14. 3D Models to elevate product pages
Shopify is making it easier for you to bring your products to life online with its new 3D scanner for iOS. Now, you can create interactive 3D models of your products directly from your iOS device, and these models will display seamlessly on your store’s product page. There’s no need for any additional software or incur extra costs.
15. Shopify Feature Test Drives
This tool lets you test new features in a safe environment before they go live in your development and production stores. It’s especially useful for those rare updates that might cause breaking changes. Now, you can not only test systems to ensure they work perfectly with your store’s setup but also train your staff ahead of time. This means you’re fully prepared for any changes, minimizing disruptions and maintaining a smooth operation for your customers.
To Recap
Shopify’s Winter Editions 2024 rolls out a comprehensive set of updates designed to elevate the e-commerce experience for both merchants and customers alike. From introducing AI-powered tools for effortless image editing and content creation, enhancing Shopify Marketplace Connect for streamlined inventory and product listing across platforms, to launching the Fulfillable Inventory feature for smarter stock management. It also simplifies finding and paying creators with Shopify Collabs, offers Feature Test Drives for risk-free update testing, and boosts sales opportunities through more flexible subscription and bundle options. Furthermore, the updates include advanced discount mechanisms and payment flexibility, customizable and efficient checkout processes, and innovative solutions for personalized gifting and sustainable shipping options. These enhancements underscore Shopify’s commitment to providing powerful, user-friendly tools that help merchants optimize their operations, engage customers more effectively, and drive greater sales in the competitive online marketplace.
To read the complete list of updates, head over to Shopify Editions: Winter ’24.
Need Help With Upgrading Your Store to Unlock the Full Benefits?
Navigating the latest Shopify updates can unlock significant advantages for your store. If you’re unsure where to start or how to implement these changes effectively, our team is here to assist. Reach out to us on (888) 811-3073 or support@codaemon.com for expert guidance on upgrading and harnessing the full potential of Shopify’s Winter Editions 2024 for your business.