Shopify Winter Editions
Quick List
A quick list of my top features with links, Scroll down for much more info.
| Feature (in order of coolness) | Plus Only | Release Timing | Info | Beta signup |
| Combined Product Listings | Yes | Beta | Here | Find Here |
| 2000 Variants | Yes | Beta | Here | Find Here |
| Capture On Fulfillment | Yes | Beta | Here | Find Here |
| Regional Inventory | No | Out Now | Here | |
| Account Extensibility | Yes | Mid 2024 | Here | |
| Better Theme Blocks | No | Mid 2024 | Here | |
| Better Search | No | Out Now | Here | |
| Privacy & Compliance Tools | No | Out Now | Here |
Really Cool Things
If you skip the rest check these. TL:DR few of the coolest things are out now.. none really. But will release mid to late 2024. But sign up for the betas.
Combined Product Listings
Release Timing: Beta Sign Up
Beta Sign Up: Yes Find Here
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
More info: Here
Details: There is a possibility this does 2 things. 1. changes how we build products by splitting them into products by color - which we have currently been against. 2. Removes the real fear of the 100 variant limit. As if products are split by colors, then you won't really have that issue anymore. Bonus note, this will actually work really well with Dynasort and collection merchandising. So that's kinda neat.
2000 Variants
Release Timing: Most likely mid to end of 2024
Beta Sign Up: Yes Find Here
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
More info: Here
Details: This is something brands have been waiting for for years now. Excited to see it on the horizon. We unfortunately don't have a release coming very soon on it most likely. It's going into selective beta preview and then will get pushed live at some point after that. But let's go ahead and get on the beta and work towards a new better world of 2000 variants.
Capture payment on fulfillment even multi fulfill
Release Timing: Beta Sign Up
Beta Sign Up: Yes Find Here
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
More info: Here
Details: Most brands are capturing on ship right now but it requires complex integration, especially with multi fulfillment scenarios. This will now be part of the shopify plus platform and will cure a bunch of ongoing integration headaches.
Fulfillable inventory / regional inventory
Release Timing: Now / Soon. Rolling out to accounts over the next few weeks.
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Details: Yay! You can now only show items that are available to sell based on the market you customer is shopping from. This has been a long time headache and will now be able to be solved natively in Shopify.
Customer Account Extensibility
Release Timing: Probably mid 2024
Beta Sign Up: No, developer preview
Shopify Plus Only: Yes, we believe. Not 100% sure.
More info: Here
Details: If you've upgraded your customer accounts then you know it's a barren wasteland. Yeah the functionality is cool, but it's an abrasive unbranded jump for customers. With extensibility we will finally be able to make this a more viable option for brands both visually and functionally.
Better Theme Blocks (Nested & Presets)
Release Timing: Probably mid to end 2024
Beta Sign Up: No, developer preview
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Details: As Many of you know working with blocks can be somewhat restrictive with the lack of structure. You end up with a giant list of fields to attempt to accomplish all that you want. And then you remember those settings the next time is tedious at best without any kind of presets. This update will bring much needed love to block sections.
Better Native Search
Release Timing: Out Now
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
More info: Here
Details: Shopify search app (search & destroy.. oops i mean search & discovery. I see you Iggy Pop, if you need a Shopify site, lmk) can now do semantic search, aka "i want red ski coat" using AI to deliver more relevant search results. In addition search can now support multiple definitions. One section with "OR" logic one with "And" logic! This might not sound important, but if you know you know.
Privacy & Compliance Tools
Release Timing: Live Now
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Details: TRIGGER WARNING: Yeah this stuff is a headache, will never stop changing, and someone is going to try to sue you over it. Anyways any and all the help you can get from the Shopify platform is welcomed. Very excited to see them investing in this.
Less Cool Things
but still cool.
Color swatches in product data
Release Timing: Beta sign up
Beta Sign Up: Here
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Details: Bring deeper data (including native swatch colors) into your product taxonomy. We still don't love swatches -- variant images are more helpful to customers -- but if you're set on swatches it'll now at least be easier to manage them.
Speed performance dashboard
Release Timing: Within weeks.
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Details: We've been big ol whiney babies about how shopify's speed scores were not good. I'd say they heard us, but let's be real they don't listen to us, but your speed dashboard will now use Google Lighthouse to bring native core web vitals tracking. Yay!
More Staff Permissions
Release Timing: Within weeks for B2B, Late 2024 for standard staff.
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
More info: Here
Details: This is rolling out for B2B sales reps first -- ability to see and place orders for only their accounts and not see all of the admin. This is important as it will lead to sub sets of information only available to certain accounts. So a site with US & EU markets can have CSRs from Europe only see EU orders and vice versa. This is a current roadblock in the way of some brands full markets adoption and will be an exciting feature.
Analytics now has markets filter
Release Timing: Within weeks
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Shop app customization through shop minis
Release Timing: Now
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Details: Make your Shop App listing less bad looking.
Better store dupes with deeper info
Release Timing: within weeks
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
Details: Duping your store over for a dev instance is easier now with more information sent across in a store dupe. So less hours needed from Wick to set these up.
Test drive new features before rollout
Release Timing: No date given. prob mid 2024
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
More info: Here
Details: Will help with new feature rollout a ton.
Address validation always on
Release Timing: Within weeks
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Exchanges in Shopify returns
Release Timing: "Early 2024"
Shopify Plus Only: No
More info: Here
Details: Loop is shaking in their boots now. This will bring a much more robust comparative feature set to shopify returns.
Shopify Functions Now Ready
Release Timing: Now
Shopify Plus Only: Yes
More info: Here
Details: Now that we have shipping discounts & multi discount logic live we can fully embrace Shopify functions and work away from Shopify Scripts. All those discussions about converting your Pro program into functions can now kick off. =)