 Chris Crum writes for Small Business Resources about what's new for small business. Chris was a featured writer with the iEntry Network of B2B Publications where hundreds of publications linked to his articles including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, LA Times and the New York Times.
|
Shopify Launches Summer UpgradesShopify recently announced a number of upgrades for the summer season that businesses will be able to take advantage of. This includes several new product launches and feature updates for developers. The company says it has reimagined the entire experience of building on Shopify, putting "more power in the hands of developers." The new Shopify Catalog feature lets apps and AI agents search and pull real-time product data from millions of businesses, and display relevant products to shoppers. The catalog covers businesses of all sizes, sectors, and locations, and, according to Shopify, helps merchants get their products in front of a wider audience. The feature utilizes machine learning to keep data optimized for AI apps and agents to use. The company has partnered with Perplexity to help customers more easily discover products from businesses using Shopify. They will also roll out Global Cart and Checkout capabilities to make shopping easier. Perplexity Head of Advertising and Shopping Taz Patel commented, “Assistive experiences are the future of commerce, and Perplexity wants to be available anywhere people have questions that need accurate, trustworthy answers. Shopify Catalog gives users seamless access to products from millions of Shopify merchants, providing accurate, real-time information throughout their shopping journey.”
There’s also a new next-gen dev platform, which the company says unifies the entire development workflow with a centralized and speedy Dev Dashboard and CLI, making Shopify more Vibe code ready (Vibe coding involves using AI to translate natural language descriptions into functional code). As a result, Shopify apps can be built in record time, utilizing AI-powered code generation, which is customized for the user’s needs. "Shopify automatically manages app metafields across all stores with declarative data definitions, while deeply integrated tooling eliminates workflow friction," the company explains. A new Storefront MCP feature enables developers to build specialized AI shopping agents for individual brands, which can search for products, answer questions, build shopping carts, and handle the checkout process in real-time. The agents can access product catalogs and store information securely to simplify the shopping experience for customers, while giving businesses access to new sales channels and accurate product representation. Shopify has also made it easier for developers to build Shopify Functions with.dev Assistant, which is an AI-powered coding partner. The update makes backend customization more accessible and reduces friction.
A new Storefront Web Components feature lets businesses add Shopify’s commerce features (including product cards, buy buttons, and shopping carts) to any website with just a few lines of HTML. Additionally, an updated version of the Markets and Catalogs APIs enables developers to build support for new markets, including retail, B2B, and international. The company says that this update offers sophisticated market segmentation and catalog management, giving merchants more control over their global product presence. Finally, Shopify is making it easier for merchants to build custom storefronts with a feature called Horizon, which is an AI-integrated theme foundation that streamlines storefront development, and offers tools like Theme Blocks for effortless personalization and unique shopping experiences. Twenty-eight percent of online stores in the United States reportedly use Shopify, making it the country’s largest e-commerce platform.1 1https://burstcommerce.com/guides/shopify-stats/ Read other business articles |
