Shopify, a leading global webstore platform, has introduced its Winter 24 upgrade edition, boasting “100+ innovations to drive retail growth.” Notably, the update includes an AI-powered storefront search feature called Semantic Search. This innovative feature surpasses traditional keyword matching, understanding buyer intent more intuitively. It allows customers to formulate search queries in a natural way, delivering richer and more relevant results, potentially boosting conversions.
For instance, if a shopper searches for “what would I wear skiing in freezing temperatures,” the algorithm recognizes the intent for warm clothing, presenting relevant results even without an exact keyword match.
Shopify’s Magic AI tools, previously released, have already made a substantial impact on UK merchants. The Winter 24 upgrade also introduces Subscriptions, a free app enabling merchants to set up and manage subscriptions directly through Shopify. This app provides consumers with the flexibility to modify subscription orders from their user accounts, enhancing ease of access to favorite brands.
Addressing wholesale customers, Shopify introduces Headless Storefronts, allowing merchants to create personalized buyer experiences for wholesale customers. This feature enables the development of customized B2B storefronts while using preferred tech stacks. Merchants can utilize Shopify’s APIs and developer tools to enable B2B checkouts and provide personalized products and prices within their headless stores. Additionally, Shopify introduces Sales Representative Permissions for B2B merchants. This feature allows merchants to assign sales teams to customers, streamlining operations through a unified platform. Sales representatives can place orders and access essential customer information within Shopify, enhancing efficiency in B2B transactions.
