At the ongoing Shopify Unite 2019 conference, Shopify has announced a number of new products like Fulfillment network, video and 3D model assets, custom storefront tools, new online store design experience and others. Most of these products will be launched later this year.
Here are the major highlights:
Shopify Fulfillment Network
Shopify Fulfillment Network, will be a dispersed network of fulfillment centers which uses machine learning to automatically select the optimal inventory quantities per location, as well as the closest fulfillment option for each of the customers’ shipments. Once available, it will be possible to simply install the app, select the products, get a quote, and begin selling the products. Entrepreneurs will be able to provide fast, low-cost delivery to their customers while maintaining ownership of customer data and a branded shipping experience.
-
A single back office
A merchants order, inventory, and customer data will stay synced and up-to-date across all warehouse locations and channels.
-
Recommended warehouse locations
To save costs on shipping, it will be possible to find the best locations, based on where the sales are coming from.
-
Low stock alerts
When inventory runs low, merchants will know when to replenish to continue meeting demands.
-
99.5% order accuracy
The correct package will be chosen and out the door on time, with good accuracy.
-
Hands-on warehouse help
A dedicated account manager will assist the merchant in finding the best path, to reach their customers so the costs can be kept low.
Shopify Fulfillment Network is currently available in the United States, and interested merchants can apply for early access.
Signed up immediately, can't wait to get details. I'm knee-deep in making the switch to a 3PL and this changes everything for me if the logistics are right. Is this an immediate launch or is there an ETA for the first shipments?
— Seth Haber (@treklightgear) June 19, 2019
Native support to video and 3D model assets
Shopify’s product will natively support video and 3D model assets, thus adding a new dimension to products and providing a richer purchase experience for customers. This feature is expected to be released later this year.
-
Manage media through a single location
It will now be possible to upload, access, and store video and 3D models from the same place where the images are being managed currently.
-
Deploy through the new Shopify video player
Users can use, one of the 10 starter themes, to easily display video 3D models using the new Shopify player for video or the viewer for Shopify AR.
-
New editor apps
Shopify is inviting partners and developers to create additional apps and custom integrations to open up new ways, to create and modify images, videos, and AR experiences.
This is a big deal. Thank you!
— Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer) June 19, 2019
This is HUGE <3
— Wak Designs (@thewakdesigns) June 20, 2019
New Online Store Design Experience
The new online store design will provide entrepreneurs, with more options for customization. This will give them more control over the layout and aesthetic of their store. This feature is expected to be released later this year.
-
Easier customization at the page and store level
Any page can now be customized by using sections, just like the homepage. It is also now possible for users to save time by setting content on multiple pages, using master pages.
-
Portable content that moves with you
From now on, users will not have to make a duplicate of their theme or move content over manually. The shop’s content will follow the owner so that they are able to make changes, like downloading a new version or trying out a new one.
-
A new workspace to update your store
It will now be possible to edit and preview updates before publishing. Any minor tweak or major changes can be done in a new space to draft changes.
Custom storefront tools
Shopify’s Storefront API allows customers to use the custom storefront tools to free their storefront from certain back-end dependencies. This gives customers the flexibility to sell anywhere and in any way they want. This feature is more exciting for more complex or niche businesses that use the web, mobile, gaming, and other interactive mediums as storefronts to reach their customers. Shopify merchants have already started to use the Storefront API’s.
For example, NTWRK hosted a live stream shopping show using Shopify’s Storefront API.
-
Connect microservices to create personalized experiences
Third-party shipping services can be used for blogs, storefront, and product pages or accurate shipment alerts
-
Turn the world into your storefront
Entrepreneurs can engage with their customers through vending machines, live streams, smart mirrors, voice shopping, and more.
-
Speedy and scalable to have development teams work in parallel
The flexible architecture will enable the development teams to create the experiences and storefronts, according to their vision.
Interested merchants can create custom experiences on the customer storefront tools website.
Finally an easier way to build pages with reusable sections 🚀
— Carlo Teran 🇲🇽 (@CarloTeran) June 19, 2019
Customer loyalty with retail shoppers
With the new Shopify Point of Sale cart app extensions, users can apply and edit loyalty and promotional details directly from the customer cart.
-
Apply discounts lightning-quick
The number of clicks needed to apply a discount has been reduced to one, thus saving users 10 seconds for each sale on average.
-
Important information at your fingertips
Key customer details, from birthdays to reward milestones will surface automatically and in-context, so the merchants or their staff won’t have to navigate to the apps to get alerts.
-
More flexibility
Shopify’s app partners will give merchants the flexibility to pick a program that works best for their customer experience, like rewarding a long-time customer, online or in-store.
Interested merchants can learn more about the apps on the POS Loyalty and Promotion Apps website.
Very very good improvement! The amount of customers asking "how many points do I have" will be sooo much easier to check rather than loading up the app every time. Does this further integration mean customer points will print on receipts or show on customer view???
— Shawn Bouchard (@ShawnBouchard) June 19, 2019
Shopify Payments in multiple currencies and languages
From this year onwards, merchants can run their business in their own preferred language. Shopify is already available in French, German, Japanese, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish. Additionally, Shopify will be available in 11 additional languages like Dutch, Simplified Chinese, and more.
Also, Shopify Payments will enable selling in multiple currencies and will be globally available to all Shopify merchants later this year. The displayed prices will use simple rounding rules and automatically adjust based on current foreign -exchange rates. Soon shoppers will be able to convert between nine major currencies -GBP, AUD, CAD, EUR, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, and USD, thus using their preferred way to pay.
This is exciting! Thank you 😀
— Anthony Cook (@anthonycook) June 19, 2019
Users of Shopify are obviously quite elated with all the announcements. People also touted this as Shopify’s way to combat Amazon, its main competitor in the market.
This could be a very big deal. Not least because 16 year olds in basements appear to have a better idea of how to market and sell than Amazon https://t.co/Oa4B43U0i0
— Tom Goodwin (@tomfgoodwin) June 19, 2019
Visit the Shopify blog, for more details.
Read More
Why Retailers need to prioritize eCommerce Automation in 2019
5 things to consider when developing an eCommerce website
Through the customer’s eyes: 4 ways Artificial Intelligence is transforming ecommerce
