Shopify’s summer 2022 release: 10 of the best new features
Written by Alistair
It’s been hailed by Shopify as the next era of commerce — and the ecommerce giant has rolled out a whole host of new features and functionality to help businesses find and engage with customers, drive more sales in international markets, and do it all in a way that’s faster and better than ever before.But do these latest updates live up to the hype? We narrow down 10 of Shopify’s best new features and give our honest verdict on each.
B2B/Wholesale
By integrating wholesale with your website, you can set specific pricing for wholesalers on a per company basis. When a wholesaler is logged in, they get the same experience but with their own custom pricing. Plus — developers have full control of the wholesale site, so it can be totally customised, too.
Our verdict: A gamechanger. So much easier and better than previous apps and options. Set to make wholesale on Shopify 1,000% better
Available on: Shopify Plus
Find out more here.
Markets
Markets makes it easier than ever for your business to go global. It enables you to sell in different countries and regions with different languages, currencies, pricing and payment options. Before, you’d need a separate Shopify store for each county. Now, you can manage all your markets in one.
Our verdict: Makes selling internationally super simple. It has some teething problems (that Shopify is working on) but it’s still well worth it for international stores.
Available on: All plans, bonus features with Advanced and Plus
Find out more here.
Combine discounts
The days of single discounts are over. Instead of relying on custom development or apps for multiple discounts (such as 10% off plus Buy One Get One Free), Shopify now allows you to combine discounts at once.
Our verdict: Much easier to put together combinations of different offers. The possibilities are endless — well, almost anyway.
Available on: All Shopify stores
Find out more here.
Pre-orders and TBYB
Previously, pre-ordering and TBYB (Try Before You Buy) functionality was pretty painful. You needed to apply a custom checkout process, which meant separate flows for pre-order and buy now products, less customisation and a clunky user experience. Shopify took note, and has now integrated both in the main checkout.
Our verdict: Well worth it for user experience alone. There aren’t many apps out there that support it yet, but many more will soon.
Available on: All stores with a Pre-order or TBYB app like PreProduct or TryNow
Find out more here.
Built for Shopify
With so many apps out there, it can be hard to separate the good apps from the great ones. Enter: Built for Shopify — a new program to highlight and promote high quality apps to users.
Our verdict: Couldn’t have come soon enough. Not only will it make it easier to find the right apps, but it’s paving the way for better app building, too.
Available to: Everyone
Find out more here.
Search and Discovery
The Search and Discovery app will supercharge your store’s search functionality. Gone are the days of custom apps or third-party search tools. You can now prioritise certain collections or products, or add/remove search terms.
Our verdict: Great for those looking to provide a better browsing experience without overhauling the entire search functionality.
Available on: Still in early access, so only available if invited. But it’s coming soon!
Find out more here.
Shopify Audiences
Shopify Audiences has the power to increase your return on ad spend. It adds an extra layer of intelligence to live digital ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Google that are promoting products on your Shopify store. Plus, it leverages data about customers and products from other merchants, helping you to optimise your ad strategy.
Our verdict: Definitely worth a try if you’re already running digital ads. Has the potential to reduce ad spend and improve your conversions.
Available on: Shopify Plus
Find out more here.
Shopify Functions
One for your developer. Functions allows devs to have more control over Shopify's backend logic. You can discount products within the checkout or modify the price based on a wide range of different circumstances, i.e. the options chosen on a product, the combination of products in the cart and more.
Our verdict: Has lots of potential. It’s opened the doors to a whole new world of pricing.
Available on: All Shopify stores
Find out more here.
Shopify Shipping for UK and France
Printing and paying for labels just got easier than ever. Shipping labels can be automatically created for orders purchased in the UK and France, and you can compare multiple carriers without third-party apps.
Our verdict: Definitely one to watch — especially if it can simplify your shipping process or reduce costs overall.
Available on: All stores in supported countries
Find out more here.
Twitter Shopping
Shopify’s new Twitter functionality promises to convert customers in just a few clicks. Great if you have a large following or regularly connect with users on the platform, the Twitter Shopping feature allows you to add the ‘View Shop’ button to highlight products from your Shopify store on your Twitter profile.
Our verdict: Simple to install and super useful if you find you have a large audience on Twitter.
Available on: All Shopify stores
Find out more here.
Want to talk shop with the team? Get in touch for anything to do with Shopify, its latest features, or just general ecommerce things.
