The Shopify Editions Winter 2024 are here, introducing over 100 new features designed to help Shopify merchants enhance their online stores.
In today’s fast-paced e-commerce environment, both customer and merchant needs are constantly evolving. To meet these demands, Shopify continuously improves its platform—from enhancing store performance to optimizing the checkout process. Below, we've highlighted the most important updates from the Shopify Winter Editions 2024 and how you can make the most of them for your business.
What are Shopify Editions?
Since 2022, Shopify Editions has been the platform's biannual update, showcasing a wide range of new features and improvements. These updates used to be part of the "Shopify Unite" conference but are now presented via a livestream and a dedicated Shopify Editions landing page.
Key Shopify Winter Editions 2024 Updates
The Shopify Winter Editions 2024 focus on foundational improvements, aiming to make Shopify stores faster and more powerful. Here are our top highlights:
#1 More Variants per Product (early access)
One of Shopify’s previous limitations was the maximum of 100 variants per product. Now, this limit has been raised to 2,000 variants per product, which is a significant advantage for merchants with large product catalogs. Currently in Developer Preview, this feature is expected to roll out to all users in 2024.
#2 Combined Listing App (Shopify Plus only)
The Combined Listing App allows you to consolidate multiple product variants into one central listing. This makes it easier to manage product information and saves time. It’s currently available in Early Access and exclusive to Shopify Plus merchants.
#3 Shopify Subscription App
The Shopify Subscription App, introduced in previous editions, is now fully rolled out. This update allows merchants to manage subscriptions directly from the Shopify Admin, eliminating the need for third-party apps.
#4 Shopify Bundles
The popular Shopify Bundles app has been updated. Merchants can now combine up to 30 products in a bundle, instead of the previous limit of 10. This provides greater flexibility for product marketing and can significantly increase average order value.
#5 Checkout Extensibility
Shopify has added over 90 new apps and 14 new APIs to help merchants further customize their checkout processes. The new Checkout Sheet Kit App is especially helpful for making mobile checkouts more flexible and personalized.
#6 Shopify Exchanges (early access)
To streamline the post-purchase process, Shopify Exchanges allows you to manage returns and exchanges directly within the Shopify Admin. This feature simplifies refund processes and inventory management.
#7 Regional Inventory Management
For international Shopify merchants, regional inventory management is a game-changer. You can now split your inventory by location, ensuring that customers only see stock available in their region. This improves inventory accuracy and reduces shipping delays, especially for global operations.
#8 Shopify Magic with AI-Powered Image Editing
Shopify Magic introduces AI-powered image editing capabilities, allowing merchants to edit product images directly within Shopify. You’ll soon be able to adjust or remove backgrounds with just a few clicks. This feature is expected to be available in early 2024.
#9 Semantic Search (Shopify Plus only)
The new Semantic Search feature enhances Shopify’s search functionality using AI to understand search intent better than basic keyword matching. It’s especially useful for stores with large product catalogs. Currently, it is only available for Shopify Plus merchants.
#10 Performance Dashboard
With the new Performance Dashboard, Shopify merchants gain valuable insights into key web vitals like loading speed and interactivity. This allows you to monitor your store’s performance and optimize for better customer experience and higher conversion rates.
#11 B2B with Shopify Plus
Shopify has introduced several updates for B2B merchants:
- Custom employee access permissions
- Headless Commerce support for B2B stores
- The ability to create custom discounts using Shopify Functions
- Digital products such as downloads and warranties are now supported
#12 More flexible storefronts with theme blocks
With reusable Theme Blocks, you can now adjust layouts and design elements across your store without touching the code. Blocks can be nested up to eight levels deep, offering maximum flexibility. This update is a time-saver for developers and helps ensure a consistent user experience.
Shopify Editions Winter 2024 – What to expect
The Shopify Editions Winter 2024 deliver numerous updates that Shopify merchants should be excited about. From the increased product variant limit to new AI-driven features, these updates have the potential to significantly improve your online store. Although some features are still in preview or exclusive to Shopify Plus, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2024.
Do you have any questions or want to learn how these new features can benefit your Shopify store? Feel free to reach out!