Highlights from Shopify Editions Winter '24

Screenshot of Shopify Editions Winter ‘24

In the fast-paced and ever-evolving realm of e-commerce, the ability to adapt and innovate is paramount for businesses seeking sustained success. Shopify, a leader in the e-commerce platform industry, consistently strives to empower merchants with cutting-edge features and tools. The latest iteration, Shopify Editions Winter '24, holds the promise of taking the online retail experience yet another few steps forward. In this article, we'll introduce you to some key enhancements that this eagerly anticipated edition brings to the forefront.

1. New Section Blocks

Shopify is placing a renewed emphasis on enabling businesses to create a distinct and compelling brand identity. The update introduces an array of enhanced customization options for online stores, allowing merchants to wield greater control over their storefronts. With improved themes and advanced design features, businesses can effortlessly craft visually stunning and highly functional online spaces that resonate with their unique target audience.

Adding to the drag-and-drop Theme Editor, Shopify is now expanding the possibilities by allowing to insert specific blocks into “Flex Sections”. Ordinarily, you can add pre-built sections that ship with your theme or more advanced sections that you install yourself onto your existing theme. But soon you’ll be able to add a Flex section which is basically just an empty grid and then add specific content blocks by column and row. You’ll also be able to add these custom blocks into other blocks that allow it – basically nesting blocks within blocks.

2. Shopify Subscriptions

Initially announced in the Summer of 2023, Shopify is releasing its native subscription app allowing merchants to offer subscriptions to their products and/or services. This is great news since up until now, merchants needed to use a 3rd party app which are very costly.

3. Shopify Magic

While Shopify has already implemented AI to write better product descriptions, soon you’ll have the option to edit your images as well! We all know how important great imagery is in order to make a sale. With this new update, you’ll now be able to edit the backgrounds of your images using just a few keywords.

4. Higher Variant Limit

Previously, Shopify imposed a limitation on the number of product variants, restricting each product to a maximum of 100 variants. This meant that any combination of available options, such as color, size, and design, were capped at 100 unique configurations within a single listing.

For instance, envision a t-shirt available in five colors, five sizes, and four style options. Under the previous limit of 100 variants, this product could only showcase a fraction of its potential combinations (5 colors x 5 sizes x 4 styles = 100), potentially limiting the representation of a brand's diverse offerings.

In the upcoming changes, the limit on product variants is set to increase substantially, jumping from the previous cap of 100 to an expansive allowance of 2000 variants per product. This enhancement is a game-changer for brands dealing with intricate and multifaceted products.

5. Bundles

Instead of being limited to product bundles of 10, you’ll now be able to offer up to 30 products in a bundle. Combine more product offerings to increase those sales!

And those are just a few…

Head over to the Shopify Editions to read about all of the updates.