What's new on Shopify in March'24

Here, we delve into the March’24 updates that have transformed Shopify's capabilities and user experience. It's a collection of new products, features, and company news we gathered for you to improve the performance of your business and use best-in-class practices. Let's bring a wave of enhancements and new opportunities, making the process of selling goods on Shopify easier than ever before.

Moving D2C customers and orders to company accounts

Merchants can now seamlessly transfer their existing D2C customer base and order records to a well-established B2B company. This migration process can be started either from the Customer profile page or the Company profile page. However, this functionality is specifically designed for D2C orders and does not apply to B2B orders. This enhancement is particularly beneficial for Plus merchants who previously managed B2B activities, ensuring that B2B buyers are seamlessly integrated into a designated company structure rather than remaining disconnected.

Collective discovery inspires tailored recommendations

Discover the magic of personalized product suggestions with Shopify Collective, delivering exactly what your customers want based on their interactions and preferences. The new sections comprise "Picked for you," "Based on your search history," and "Your customers searched for." More info about Shopify Collective Discovery can be found in the Shopify help center.

Introducing Shopify Flow's latest enhancements in fulfillment tasks

The Shopify team just rolled out three exciting new fulfillment tasks in Flow. Firstly, you can use the Move Fulfillment Order action to relocate a fulfillment to a new location where all the line items are stocked. To explore this feature, you can either create a workflow from scratch in Flow or use the "Move Large Fulfillment Orders to Another Fulfillment Location" template.

Secondly, you can employ the Mark Fulfillment Order as a Fulfilled action to generate a fulfillment for an order. Again, you can start from scratch in Flow or use the "Fulfill a Digital Item in an Order" template to test this functionality.

Lastly, when multiple fulfillment orders have been merged, you can trigger your workflows using the Fulfillment Order Merged trigger.

Improved the navigation experience of the Shopify app on tablets

The Shopify app on tablets now features a sleek sidebar instead of the traditional tab bar. Get quick access to crucial pages, sales channels, and apps with this convenient new layout.

Updated keyboard shortcuts for the Theme editor

Now, Shopify merchants can explore more keyboard shortcuts in the theme editor for seamless left sidebar navigation and easy toggling of tools like the preview inspector and preview window width adjustments. Access the complete list of shortcuts by pressing ctrl + / on a PC or command + / on a Mac.

New level of decimal support for retailer margins

Retailers have unlocked a new level of precision in their pricing strategies! Now, they can specify margins with decimal points when creating pricelists, ensuring every price is perfectly aligned with their strategy. Previously limited to whole numbers (e.g., 10%), suppliers can now offer margins like 10.75%, enhancing flexibility and accuracy in pricing. This update caters to more nuanced pricing approaches, ensuring a tailored approach for each partnership. In the Retailer Discovery experience, "typical margin" values will be rounded to the nearest percentage for clarity.

Self-service unblock for Markets Pro Payouts

Discover updated Markets Pro payouts with guidance on unblocking stuck payouts. As Markets Pro utilizes a Merchant of Record for international sales, payouts differ from domestic orders.

Previously, to unblock a payout, you had to contact support. Now, if a payout gets blocked, you'll receive a notification in your Shopify admin with a link to your Orders page. There, you can see a filtered list of any blocked Markets Pro orders. Clicking on an individual order will display a banner with instructions on releasing the payout.

You can also proactively spot blocked payouts in Finances > Payouts > Transactions, where the status will show as "Action Required." Once you release the payout, the status changes to "Pending," with a scheduled payout date.

Released payouts are processed and delivered on the 1st, 8th, 15th, or 22nd of the month. They must meet fulfillment criteria, including being fulfilled, having a tracking number, and being scanned by the carrier. If you need more details on getting paid for Shopify Markets Pro orders, visit the Shopify Help Center.

Strengthened security measures for Order Status Page access

Shopify has stepped up our game in security! The Order Status Page now boasts enhanced measures to protect both merchant and customer information, ensuring peace of mind for everyone involved. Customers now have access to the Order Status Page without logging in for a limited duration or number of browser visits. Once these timeout limits are reached, customers must authenticate using credentials such as a phone number, email address, and order number or through passwordless login to continue accessing the Order Status Page securely. For more details on these updates, please visit our Help Center.

Clear visibility of product error states

Retailers are now equipped with a powerful tool—enhanced visibility into product statuses across various sections, including the critical "Suppliers" tab and individual connections. This enhancement isn't just about seeing products; it's about spotting those unsellable gems with ease, ensuring you can take swift action where needed.

In each connection, a new "Errors" tab hosts products active on sales channels but facing issues, denoted by an alert icon with a recommended action. This visibility extends to the "Imported" tab, where unsellable products now show the alert icon and recommended actions. Bulk actions and an "Errors" filter streamline the process on both tabs.

The product state messages cover scenarios like daily variant limits reached, variant limits exceeded, supplier unpublished products, and more. Retailers can then contact suppliers, review variant limits, or manage out-of-stock products accordingly.

Additionally, retailers receive weekly emails highlighting unsellable products that need immediate attention. Now, issues can be resolved promptly, and retailer stay informed about their product statuses.

Partial payment collection and recording

Now, you have the capability to collect and record multiple partial payments for orders with payment terms directly in your Shopify admin. This feature allows you to provide flexible payment options to your customers, accept multiple payment methods for a single order, and gather deposits or upfront payments as needed. With this enhancement, there's no longer a requirement to specify the expected payment method from a draft during order creation. Instead, you can designate the payment method when recording the payment for an order. Explore further details about collecting and recording partial payments in the Shopify Help Center.

Region-based abandoned checkouts

Now, you have the ability to identify the countries from which customers abandon their checkouts. You can further filter these regions based on your current sales territories and those you do not target. Find more details here.

Auto-translation support

Experience Auto-translation for Arabic and Hebrew in Translate & Adapt! Ensure your theme supports right-to-left text direction for seamless localization. Visit the Shopify Theme store to filter by Features > Right-to-left and learn more about translating your store.

Merge multiple discounts in one order

Staff can now apply various discount types within a single order on the Shopify POS system, empowering merchants to offer product, order, shipping, and custom discounts simultaneously. This enhances flexibility and savings for customers, providing a seamless shopping experience with multiple discounts in one transaction. Find more details in the Shopify Help Center.

Grant staff access to designated retail locations

Boost your retail operations' efficiency by customizing staff access to specific store locations. With HQ control over staff assignments per retail site, you can now secure POS app access solely to designated areas, promoting streamlined operations and enhanced security measures. Dive deeper into the benefits of location-based access control right here!

Selecting customer receipts at the point of sale (POS)

Improve personalization, service quality, and customer lifetime value (LTV)! Selecting customer receipts at the POS checkout introduces a dynamic way for retailers to engage with customers and gain valuable insights into their shopping habits. It enables Shopify POS to promptly link payments from POS transactions to buyers in the Shop Pay network, facilitating seamless capture of customer emails during checkout.

Gather emails and marketing permissions from new customers effortlessly and connect in-store and online transactions. More details here.

Improvements in Cash tracking for POS

Enhancements to cash tracking in POS are now accessible through the POS channel in the Shopify admin.

• You can now close cash tracking sessions remotely from the POS channel, a handy option when unable to do so directly from the device running the POS app. This enhances reporting accuracy and prevents lingering open sessions.

• Easily download the POS register shift summary from the POS channel for each location. This feature streamlines the process of exporting and analyzing reports, making management more efficient.

Optimize customer experience with POS checkout validation

Make every checkout count by ensuring accurate customer data and staff attributions at POS. Capture essential customer details like first name, last name, email, and phone number seamlessly during checkout. With checkout validations, staff receive prompts to add customer info or assign staff, ensuring completeness. Choose between 'recommended' or 'required' customer details, tailoring the checkout experience. Customize staff attributions for automatic or manual input, which are all easily managed in your Shopify admin. Learn more about optimizing checkout validations in the Shopify Help Center.

Wrapping up

Benefit from Shopify's new features to maximize your business's potential. Shopify is perfect for every business. Keep your store updated and optimized to thrive in the new e-commerce era, or risk falling behind your competitors.

If you have a project in mind, let's start it together. Whether you already have an e-commerce website or are considering migrating to Shopify for its benefits, we can create a store that amplifies your brand and boosts your business. Reach out to us today to start discussing your ideas.