7 New Shopify Features & How They Can Help Your Business Thrive 

Shopify recently released Shopify Editions Winter ‘24. Shopify catalogues its feature updates twice a year to show users what’s been going on behind the scenes to improve the e-commerce platform. These improvements are pivotal in helping businesses improve their daily operations and broader marketing strategies. 

The latest update includes over a hundred updates, such as improvements to product management, checkout, theme editors, AI features, and more. 

We’ll explore seven of the most exciting new features and explain how they can help your business thrive. 

1. Combined Listing

Shopify has upgraded its platform to help businesses showcase their products better. The new Combined Listing app combines all product variants into one listing, each with its own image and descriptive URL. This simplifies the uploading process and boosts product visibility, ultimately leading to more sales. 

Additionally, Shopify can now automatically fill in product details like colour and size, reducing manual input and making it easier for customers to find what they need. 

2. Shopify Magic

Shopify Magic is a collection of free AI-powered features that make it easier to start, run and expand your e-commerce business. 

• Sidekick – Sidekick is an AI-enabled virtual assistant that can set up new products, provide insight on top-performing products, offer guidance on admin processes, and more. 
• Generative AI – Generative AI can write product descriptions, blog posts, and email campaigns, t
• Media editor – Produce professional product photos with Shopify’s media editor, which allows you to edit image backgrounds and make modifications with limited design skills. 
• Semantic Search – Shopify has introduced an AI-powered storefront search feature that understands customer intent and recommends products based on queries, such as ‘What can I wear for hiking?’

3. Improved Checkout

The third improvement worth mentioning concerns the checkout process. Shopify has introduced a one-page checkout, reducing buyer completion times by up to four seconds. Plus, they’ve added new APIs and apps for upsells, loyalty programs, post-purchase surveys, and conversion tracking. 

According to a global survey, Shopify has the best overall conversion rate of any ecommerce platform out there, outpacing competitors by an average of 15%. 

4. Product Bundling

With Shopify Bundles, you can easily group your products to boost your average order value and offer customers a unique buying experience. Shopify updates the inventory in real time, taking the hassle out of monitoring sales and stock levels. 

This feature is built directly into the platform, making setting up bundles for new and existing products a breeze. There’s no need for complex workarounds or third-party apps; it’s all right there within Shopify itself. 

5. Subscriptions

Another great feature is the subscription app. This handy tool allows you to set up auto-billed subscriptions that renew weekly, monthly, or yearly, depending on your requirements. 

While it’s worth noting that this app is still in its infancy and has somewhat limited functionality, it’s an excellent option for smaller businesses looking to establish a straightforward subscription service. With its ease of use and basic yet effective features, it’s an ideal solution for those dipping their toes into the subscription model. 

6. Shopify Flow

Shopify Flow is an ecommerce automation tool that automates tasks like inventory management, fraud detection and loyalty programs. It was initially only available for those on the Advanced and Shopify Plus subscription tier, but now it’s available on the Basic tier. 

Whether you’re a small startup or a large established business, Shopify Flow enables automation across key processes, freeing up valuable time so you can focus on driving sales and success. 

7. Shopify Collabs

Shopify Collabs is another new Shopify feature worth celebrating. With Collabs, you can promote products with creators, let verified creators sell your products at a commission rate, and automate payments to them through your Shopify bill. 

Like Amazon affiliate links or the TikTok Creator Marketplace, Collabs simplifies connecting with influencers. Influencer marketing is a rising trend that could unlock new audiences and drive sales. 

Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms out there. It’s constantly rolling out fresh features that push boundaries and minimise the need for third-party apps or complex API integrations. 

Did you know Puddle Agency has been a Shopify partner since 2011? We’re experts at producing high-performing eCommerce websites for a range of industries. 

Count on us to develop your online store with a user-friendly design that will stop customers in their tracks. Turn clicks into conversions with a stunning Shopify website from Puddle.