Shopify unveils new AI-powered commerce features

Shopify, the e-commerce infrastructure provider, has unveiled a comprehensive update to its platform in its Summer '24 Edition, aiming to deliver a more unified and intuitive experience for merchants. The company is refining its services to meet the evolving demands of commerce across various scales, from entrepreneurs to enterprises. Deann Evans, Managing Director, EMEA, at Shopify, stated: "The products we release each Edition are developed to meet and exceed the needs of our merchants and the ever-changing demands of commerce from entrepreneur, to enterprise and developer. Not all unified software is great, but all great software is unified, scaling and growing with each new feature to work harmoniously for users."

A key highlight of the update is the introduction of Shopify POS Terminal, a new payment hardware solution designed to streamline in-store transactions. This complements the existing Shopify POS Go mobile device, offering retailers a comprehensive solution for both counter and floor sales. The company is also introducing new features such as Combined Discounts and Buy X Get Y Discounts, aimed at enhancing in-store promotional activities and creating more personalized customer experiences.

To support data-driven decision making, Shopify is bolstering its analytics capabilities, providing merchants with real-time insights through a rebuilt dashboard. The company is also reimagining its Markets solution to serve as a central command centre, enabling businesses to manage cross-border, B2B, and physical retail operations from a single location. This unified view is particularly significant given that over a quarter of all Shopify merchants are based in EMEA, accounting for 6 percent of all e-commerce in the top five EMEA markets.

In line with industry trends, Shopify is deepening its integration of artificial intelligence across its platform. New AI-powered features include enhancements to the Media Editor for image generation, Shopify Magic for automated product tagging, and Suggested Replies for customer service. These innovations are designed to save merchants time and resources while improving operational efficiency. Evans added, "Merchants depend on Shopify to not just work, but to solve the pain points they didn't know they had. This can only happen when everything is seamlessly integrated and works together."