Shopify Editions: The 7 Most Important New Features Announced

1. Combined Discounts

Small but mighty. Shopify has finally enabled multiple discount codes at checkout — for example, a 10% off code AND free shipping. This new feature will definitely alleviate the headaches we’ve all experienced in the past.

2. Shopify Audiences

This feature allows you to sync your customer data to Facebook and other paid platforms for audience retargeting and lookalikes. Currently, this process is manual and requires a CSV upload, but this new feature will help automate it. It’s only available to select merchants right now but will be rolling out soon.

3. Shopify POS

If COVID taught us anything, it’s that physical stores will survive despite the growth of eCommerce. Shopify has invested heavily in its POS system, transforming it from something relatively basic to a real contender. It now offers in-store iPhone tap-to-pay payments and Google local inventory sync, which is huge for brick-and-mortar marketing.

4. Pre-Orders and Other Checkout Apps

While not a native pre-order functionality, Shopify will now make it easier to integrate some of the most popular pre-order apps within the checkout, with customized messaging around fulfillment times. For most stores, there will still be a decent amount of custom development needed to set up pre-orders.

5. Better Search

Shopify’s native search is finally getting a facelift, with the ability to set custom filters, promote specific products, and recommend products via AI. While not as advanced as dedicated search apps (which are worth exploring if you have a large inventory), this looks to be a good improvement.

6. ShopifyQL Notebooks (Plus Only)

Currently, the only way to explore your Shopify data is to use pre-built reports with limited customization or export as CSV and manipulate it yourself. Notebooks promises to be a new way to explore data, similar to Google Data Studio, with pre-built, customizable templates. As a data nerd, I’m curious to see where this goes, but I’ll still be predominantly relying on Google Analytics.

7. Shopify Flow for All

Once a Plus-only feature, Shopify’s custom automations tool is now available to all stores on the Shopify plan and higher. It will particularly benefit stores that use Shopify’s inventory management system and those who rely on apps that integrate with Flow, such as subscription and loyalty apps or use Slack for internal communications.

Other Noteworthy Features

B2B Storefront (Plus Only)

We’ve had B2B for a while on Plus, but it’s been somewhat basic. Shopify is now developing this further, with the ability for custom themes and a better checkout for wholesale customers. Depending on your industry, this offering might really be a time-saver for your team.

Twitter Shops

Does anyone really shop on Twitter? Maybe. While it’s unlikely to become as significant as Facebook or Instagram, it’s a nice option to have.

Planet App

A new app for merchants to offer carbon offsets for shipping based on distance, weight, and shipping mode. It’s a nice idea, though it’s unclear if it will significantly impact.

Fulfillment Network

Shopify’s fulfillment network is now offering 2-day delivery and 6 months of free storage per item. Depending on your profit margin, this could be a good option for small stores or those breaking into new markets with high delivery expectations (USA).

ShopCash

Shopify is launching a cash-back program as part of their Shop app ecosystem, where merchants can participate in cash-back promotions to generate sales, similar to Cashrewards.

Hydrogen

If you’re on a custom headless storefront, your developer will probably be excited about the changes to this framework. For the vast majority who are not on headless, this feature is irrelevant.

Shopify Functions

Developers can now create their own backend code in an app called Functions, providing more open-source flexibility without needing a separate host. This will likely be great for small customizations of the platform.

Shopify Capital

Shopify is offering small loans to growing stores, which are repaid based on a percentage of daily sales. This is a smart idea for small stores that need a boost and are confident in their returns.