Shopify Unite is the new updates for Shopify Partners, merchants and agencies. Shopify users are very eager to know about the updates. Considering them, in this article we’ll give all the information about Shopify Unite.

While there are a few of the announcements that are effective and started from 28th June 2019, but we’ll have to wait until next year to see the full. Here’s everything we learned at Shopify Unite and from the track sessions.

All About Shopify Unite 2019

We will not waste your time. Let’s explore what are the major changes.

1. New Updated Design Experience for Online Store

Shopify’s new store design experience will make it easier for merchants to personalise their storefronts without writing any code.

Later this year, the new online store design experience will significantly expand the existing customization options. This will give more control over the layout and aesthetic of your store, and it’s simpler than ever to save and preview design changes before going live.

The feature is unclear at the moment, but what is clear are the following six design updates:

• Sections-based editing for each page – Sections-based editing for each page is now enabled of an online store, offering more space for creative freedom and personalisation.
• Master page – With Master page merchant can now dictate content and apply changes to all pages.
• Starting Points – Shopify themes will offer “starting points” that will be pre-configured content sections to help accelerate store setup.
• Content Flexibility – From now content is no longer stored in themes, merchants can make changes to their store without duplicating themes.
• Draft Changes – Merchants can now draft changes on their store without making the changes go live. They can play with design, content, etc. and only publish when they satisfy.
• New UX/UI – The new Shopify interface will now be a more intuitive experience for it’s new UI.

Shopify is unlocking a new feature that lets partners add apps to their storefront.

2. Bring Products to Life With Video and 3D Models

Generally in online business there is no option to touch, feel, or physically examine the products you’re considering. With product photography customers has to take their purchasing decision.

Soon, Shopify’s product section will natively support video and 3D model. It will add a new dimension to your products and providing a richer purchase experience for your customers. Here’s a short overview of how you’ll be able to make your products more attractive with video and 3D models:

• Manage media from a single place – You can upload, access, store video and 3D models from the same place where you currently manage your images.
• Display video or 3D models with new Shopify player – If you are using any one of their 10 starter themes, you can easily display video or 3D models using the new Shopify player for video or the viewer for Shopify AR. If your theme is custom build, you have to add this functionality manually.
• New editor apps – They’re 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.

3. New Shopify Plus Admin Dashboard

The new update will help large, multilayered businesses to manage multiple stores, shoppers and automation – all from a sleek new admin dashboard.

The new design will offer:

• Robust insights across all of their online stores
• The ability to manage multi-stores and user permissions from one place
• A better space to facilitate better online store operations

It also continues to add more possibilities what you can do with Shopify Flow, a smart way to automate workflows within Shopify Plus.

4. Custom Storefront Tools, Including Multi-currency

Customer journey is very important for an attractive website and design. Shopify’s new update created custom storefront tools for niche and complex eCommerce businesses.

They named this “flexible commerce” and it promises to have a big impact on key Shopify benchmarks.

These flexible commerce tools will help merchants to:

• Create a beautiful front-end design experience
• Play a massive role in a more personalised shopper experience
• Engage with customers through voice shopping, smart mirrors, smart fridges, etc.
• Leverage the scaling ability and speed of a headless eCommerce model

Merchants and agencies can also now access the following through the new Storefront API:

• Selling products in multiple currencies
• New product recommendations
• Shopify Scripts
• Access to metafields

5. POS Cart App Extensions: Loyalty and Promotions

According to Shopify blog –

In the past year, Shopify POS has grown to power over 100,000 merchants and is driving sales in the billions.

With new update checkout is now faster and easier for both merchants and customers. Store managers can now see the details about customer loyalty and promotions “directly in the cart without having to click away”.

The POS cart app extensions for the Shopify POS surfaces provide merchants with the “loyalty and promotion app functionality they want, where they need it: within the customer cart”. This gives a more seamless checkout experience for both merchants and customers that includes:

• Speed: The time it takes to apply a discount code is now down from 15 to 5 seconds and improved discoverability in the cart during checkout reduces the number of clicks from four to one
• Visibility: Store managers don’t have to remember to navigate to the apps section of POS
• Appreciation: Customers feel more appreciated wherever purchases are made

The new POS app extensions helps both retail merchants and app developers teams improve the user experiences of the storefront(s) they manage.

6. New Order Editing APIs – Shopify Unite 2019

Shopify’s brand new order editing features of the GraphQL AdminAPI enables apps to add, remove, or replace items before the line item has been fulfilled, offering merchants more post-purchase flexibility and ensuring customers get exactly what they want.

This new API is currently available in developer preview environment, and will become available to merchants over the summer. You can test out the following features now:

• Complete write access to shipping settings using GraphQL Admin API.
• Per product shipping: Set individual shipping rules based on product characteristics, like bulky, fragile, or food items.
• Location aware: Set shipping rules based on where inventory is shipped from. Buyers can see shipping rates and estimated delivery times based on their location.
• Smooth app integrations: Apps can create and modify shipping rules without a merchant’s manual involvement.

7. New Languages for the Shopify Admin and Partner Dashboard

Last year at Shopify Unite, they launched Shopify in six new languages. As a result, over 100,000 active merchants now use Shopify other than English language.

The new update announced that Shopify Admin is now available in 11 new languages, including Dutch, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Malay, Hindi, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norweigian, Korean, and Thai.

In addition, they’ve extended this functionality to the Shopify Partner community by making the Partner Dashboard available in 10 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Brazilian Portguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Dutch.

8. Shopify Fulfillment Network

Shopify fulfillment network is designed to compete with the world’s top fulfillment networks like Amazon, USPS, etc., the network will be built across the United States at first before expanding across the Atlantic.

It includes:

• One back office: The network will reduce errors and frustration with always up to date order, inventory, and customer data that syncs across all warehouse locations and channels.
• Maintain inventory integrity: Made to schedule regular or ad-hoc cycle counts to maintain accurate inventory levels.
• Nearly 100% accuracy: Orders will be ready to picked, packed, and out on time without error.
• Your eyes at the warehouse: It will provide a dedicated account manager who has logistics and Shopify expertise.

The Shopify Fulfillment Network will also support the following functionality:

• Multiple channels like online store, retail, Instagram, eBay, Amazon, etc.
• Returns and exchanges
• Custom packaging
• Works to merchant “Shipping 10 to 10,000 products a day”

Shopify Unite: Final Words..

These announcements make it clear that Shopify wants that its merchants will be able to offer a unified shopping experience. These updates will be driven by automation and integration. We believe that an integrated commerce network allows merchants to fulfill faster, create a seamless shopping experience, and ensure data integrity across all commerce touch-points. Stay tuned!

Source: Shopify Blog