Shopify's editions summer 2023 is when Shopify shows what they have been working on. We will cover the top 5 announcements.
Shopify announced an AI sidekick for all Shopify users. SideKick will allow you to pull up the sidekick and ask questions like "Let's make all products 10% off today" or "Can you update the hero banner to blue" Then bam. Like magic, your wish is its command, and it does the thing you ask it.
Sidekick will be another way of interacting with Shopify outside the admin portal and API.
Subscriptions have risen in popularity, and while you could use an app to get this feature already, nothing compares to a native integration. This is extremely basic, ecommerce 101, and is very much needed. They also did it in a very tasteful way. They only do basic things, so you will need an app for a complex subscription. Some things that will still live in apps will be tiered discounts, upsells, and bulk automation.
We are glad to see Shopify setting the bar and pushing apps to be better. Unfortunately, the subscriptions we see in the beginning fall into the above simple app. Yet you will probably upgrade to something more purpose-built as you grow, so keep that in mind.
Bundles are the same as subscriptions in a basic implementation. This will help 75% of the use cases at the beginning, and as stores grow, they will have to migrate to more purpose-built apps.
We again are glad to have a basic feature for free but be prepared if your future may have a migration required for some growth hacks.
Shopify isn't just an e-commerce hub; it is quickly becoming a business hub. A good amount of businesses require e-commerce to be competitive in their sector. Now Shopify is fast moving into business-focused features. This is not a surprising feature, but it is a business card with great rewards and features. It gives you 3% cashback on some purchases and 1% on all others. As Ecommerce is capital intensive, this will help many businesses gain extra margin on fulfillment and marketing spending.
This one is a bit weird for most, but it could be dropshipping 2.0. Basically, the premise here is that you can source and sell products from brands already using Shopify. You don't have to handle any fulfillment, just marketing and selling. It is probably a lean into dropshipping that Shopify is already known to help from a platform and app.
B2B on Shopify has always been a problem; B2 B e-commerce vastly differs from B2C e-commerce. B2Bs are looking to use bulk ordering and streamlined UI. Shopify is now providing this UI.
