Shopify Updates for B2B eCommerce: Summer ’24 Edition

Shopify has unveiled its Summer ’24 Editions, packed with 150+ new features and enhancements to boost eCommerce businesses’ performance. This overview focuses on the most relevant Shopify updates for B2B eCommerce, helping you leverage Shopify’s latest tools to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth.

• Markets for B2B
• AI and Shopify Magic
• Hydrogen Visual Editor
• Trade Theme for B2B
• B2B Deposits at Checkout
• Supplier Shipping Rates
• Bulk Order Management
• Draft Order Invoices
• Company Profiles
• Manual Payment for B2B
• Filtering Support for Companies
• Headless B2B Storefrontsv
• Data Sync with Microsoft Business Central
• More Updates for B2B

Introducing Markets: A Unified Home for Business Expansion

What is Markets?

Markets is Shopify’s newly reimagined tool for business expansion. It serves as a central hub for managing all aspects of your growth, whether it’s international, retail, or B2B. This powerful tool allows businesses to customize everything from product catalogs to store themes, currencies, and domains—all within a single Shopify store.

Benefits of Using Markets

Markets is versatile and beneficial for businesses at any stage of growth. Whether you’re a new customer looking to expand internationally, a scaling business delving into B2B, or an enterprise managing multiple retail stores, Markets offers a unified command center for all your expansion activities. Key benefits include:

• Centralized Management: View and manage all your markets from one location.
• Customization: Tailor your buyer experiences for each market with specific catalogs, themes, and pricing.
• Rapid Expansion: Easily create new markets by customizing existing ones, saving time and effort.

How Markets Works

Creating a new market with Markets is straightforward. For example, if you want to expand to the UK, you can create a new market, add the UK as a region, and customize your catalog and store theme to suit UK buyers. If you see traction and want to start selling wholesale, you can quickly add UK B2B buyer locations and tweak your settings to cater to this new segment.

Enhancing B2B Selling with Shopify Markets

For B2B businesses, Shopify Markets offers enhanced capabilities to customize your store theme and product catalogs for different markets. This means you can create unique versions of your store for various B2B markets, enabling seamless geographic expansion and tailored buyer experiences.

Key Features for B2B:

• Customized Store Themes: Create tailored themes for different B2B markets from a single store.
• Unique Catalog Versions: Offer specific product catalogs for each B2B market, enhancing relevance and engagement.
• Streamlined Management: Manage all B2B markets from one centralized interface, simplifying operations and reducing complexity.

Shopify Magic: AI Designed for Commerce

Meet Sidekick: Your AI Assistant

Shopify has launched Sidekick, an AI-powered assistant designed to provide businesses with instant support and expert advice. Sidekick offers step-by-step guidance on various tasks such as setting up shipping or managing inventory, making it an invaluable tool for B2B operations. It helps create instant reports to inform business decisions and suggests content tailored to your brand to boost engagement.

1. Transform Product Image Backgrounds

With Shopify Magic, you can now easily edit product images directly within Shopify. This feature allows you to generate, match, or remove backgrounds with just a few clicks or keywords. This tool is perfect for creating professional-looking product photos without the need for extensive editing skills.

2. Write Better Product Descriptions

Shopify Magic simplifies the process of writing product descriptions. By entering a few keywords, the AI generates SEO-friendly, commerce-centric descriptions that enhance your product listings. This feature is particularly useful for B2B businesses that need to maintain detailed and compelling product descriptions to attract and retain customers.

3. Answer Customer Questions with AI-Suggested Replies

The AI capabilities extend to customer interactions as well. Shopify Magic can suggest personalized FAQs and responses that can be added to Shopify Inbox. This feature helps businesses respond quickly to customer inquiries, improving the overall customer experience and potentially increasing conversions.

4. Elevate Your Email Effectiveness

Shopify Magic also enhances email marketing efforts by suggesting the best times to send emails, generating compelling subject lines, and crafting engaging email content. This ensures your email campaigns are effective and resonate with your target audience.

How Shopify Magic Enhances B2B Operations

1. Boost Productivity

By automating routine tasks and providing instant support, Shopify Magic frees up time for B2B businesses to focus on strategic initiatives. The AI-driven tools help streamline operations, making it easier to manage large volumes of products and customer interactions.

2. Enhance Customer Engagement

The ability to quickly and accurately respond to customer inquiries and provide personalized experiences can significantly enhance customer satisfaction. This leads to higher engagement rates and better customer retention.

3. Improve Operational Efficiency

The new AI tools reduce the need for manual intervention in many aspects of eCommerce management, from product listing to customer support. This not only saves time but also reduces the potential for errors, leading to more efficient operations.

4. Achieve Better Market Insights

Sidekick’s instant reporting and expert advice provide valuable insights into market trends and business performance. This helps B2B businesses make informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition.

Hydrogen Visual Editor for Storefront Customization

Shopify has introduced the Hydrogen Visual Editor, powered by Utopia, to make storefront customization more efficient and collaborative. This WYSIWYG editor allows teams to manipulate storefront elements in real-time, such as reordering sections, editing content, and adjusting design details, all while keeping the code as the source of truth. This integration ensures that changes are synced back to Shopify and GitHub, streamlining the workflow and enhancing team collaboration.

Key Features of the Hydrogen Visual Editor

• Real-time Editing: Directly manipulate storefront elements, making customization intuitive and collaborative.
• Code Integration: Edits are synced with GitHub and Shopify APIs, ensuring seamless updates and collaboration.
• Customizable Storefronts: Tailor storefronts for different markets, including B2B segments, from a single interface.

Introducing the Trade Theme for B2B eCommerce

Shopify has launched the Trade Theme, a powerful tool designed specifically for B2B eCommerce. This free Online Store 2.0 theme offers an efficient, professional design optimized for wholesale transactions.

Key Features of the Trade Theme

• Efficient Layouts: Designed for bulk purchasing and repeat orders.
• Customizable Design: Easy to match your brand without coding.
• Advanced Features for Plus Merchants: Display quantity rules and volume pricing.
• Flexibility: Customize sections and blocks to control your store’s look and feel.

Benefits for B2B Stores

The Trade Theme simplifies the setup of a B2B store by offering pre-designed layouts and functionalities tailored for wholesale customers. Merchants can easily add and customize sections to build an online store that meets their business needs and enhances the buyer experience.

B2B Deposits at Checkout

Shopify now enables B2B merchants to collect percentage-based deposits at checkout, a feature exclusive to Plus plans. This allows businesses to require a deposit for each B2B customer, providing flexibility in payment terms and ensuring commitment from buyers.

Key Features

• Percentage-Based Deposits: Configure deposits for each customer.
• Display Details: Deposit amounts are shown at checkout, on thank you pages, and on customer account pages.
• Company-Wide Terms: Set up payment terms for all company locations or specific locations.
• Bulk Setup: Apply payment terms to multiple companies simultaneously.

For detailed setup instructions, visit the Shopify Help Center.

Fetch Supplier Shipping Rates at Checkout

Shopify Collective now allows businesses to charge accurate supplier shipping rates at checkout based on weight and location. This feature, designed to enhance the customer experience, eliminates the need for flat-rate shipping by fetching precise shipping costs directly from suppliers.

Key Features

• Accurate Shipping Rates: Calculate shipping costs based on weight and customer location.
• Real-Time Updates: Ensure inventory updates in real-time to prevent overselling.
• Streamlined Operations: Manage products, inventory, and shipping rates seamlessly from Shopify admin.

Benefits for B2B

• Cost Efficiency: Avoid undercharging or overcharging for shipping.
• Customer Satisfaction: Provide transparent shipping costs, enhancing trust and convenience.
• Operational Ease: Simplify back-office operations with automated processes.

How to Get Started

1. Connect with Suppliers: Use Shopify Collective to discover and connect with suppliers.
2. Import Products: Import products from supplier catalogs without holding inventory.
3. Set Up Shipping: Configure accurate shipping rates to be fetched at checkout.

Enhancing B2B eCommerce with Shopify Collective

With Shopify Collective, B2B businesses can expand their product offerings without the risk of holding inventory. By integrating accurate supplier shipping rates and leveraging streamlined operations, businesses can enhance their customer experience and drive growth.

For more information on Shopify Collective and to start using these features, visit Shopify Collective.

Managing Products from Suppliers in Bulk with Shopify Collective

Efficiently managing and importing supplier products is crucial for B2B businesses. Shopify Collective’s bulk management capabilities streamline this process, enabling faster go-live times and better product synchronization.

Benefits for B2B

• Bulk Management: Import and manage thousands of products simultaneously.
• Real-Time Syncing: Automatic updates ensure accurate product information.
• Customizable Details: Modify product titles, descriptions, and media for better branding.

Shopify Collective simplifies product management, making it easier for B2B businesses to scale and maintain an up-to-date product catalog. For detailed instructions and more features, visit the Shopify Collective page.

Payment Terms in Draft Order Invoices

Streamlining B2B Transactions with Draft Orders

Shopify Plus now allows B2B merchants to send invoices for draft orders with specific payment terms, enhancing the flexibility and control over transactions conducted outside the online store. This feature is tailored for businesses that handle orders through direct channels such as phone or email.

Creating Draft Orders

When a B2B customer places an order outside of the online store, you can create a draft order and send an invoice for payment.

Steps to Create a Draft Order:

1. Navigate to Orders > Drafts in Shopify admin.
2. Click Create order and select a B2B customer.
3. Choose the company location, add products, and enter a purchase order number if applicable.
4. Click Send invoice.

Setting Up Payment Terms

You can require a percentage-based deposit at checkout, configured for each B2B customer, ensuring payments are collected efficiently.

Steps to Set Up Payment Terms:

1. From Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
2. Select a company and its location.
3. Edit payment terms and set a deposit percentage.
4. Click Save.

Local Currency and Delivery

Draft orders can be customized to reflect local currency, pricing, and taxes based on the customer’s market. Additionally, you can offer local delivery or in-store pickup, enhancing the flexibility of order fulfillment.

Steps to Manage Local Currency:

1. Go to Orders > Drafts.
2. Edit the draft order to apply the appropriate market’s pricing and currency.
3. Save changes.

Steps to Set Up Local Delivery or Pickup:

1. Preselect an in-store pickup location when creating the draft order.
2. Ensure shipping methods align with customer preferences.

By utilizing these features, Shopify Plus merchants can effectively manage B2B orders, ensuring a seamless and efficient invoicing and payment process.

For more detailed information, visit the Shopify B2B draft orders resource.

Company Profiles Support 10K Locations

Efficiently Managing Complex B2B Customer Structures

With Shopify Plus, you can now create and manage up to 10,000 ship-to locations per company, streamlining operations for large B2B clients. This feature allows detailed customization and management of each location, ensuring precise control over catalogs, payment terms, and shipping addresses.

Creating and Managing Companies and Locations

Companies in Shopify represent the B2B customers you sell to, with each company capable of having multiple locations. Each location can have separate catalogs, payment terms, and checkout options tailored to their specific needs.

This robust system allows you to store custom information using metafields, providing a highly personalized experience for each B2B client.

Flexible Shipping and Customization

Shopify Plus offers the flexibility for B2B customers to enter one-time shipping addresses at checkout, which are not stored for future use but applied to specific orders. This feature enhances the checkout experience and ensures that shipping details are accurate for every transaction.

With this update, Shopify Plus provides powerful tools to manage and grow your B2B business efficiently, catering to the complex needs of large-scale customers.

For more detailed information, visit the Shopify B2B companies resource.

Manual Payment Methods for B2B

Expanding Payment Options for B2B Customers

Shopify Plus merchants can now offer B2B customers manual payment methods at checkout, such as bank transfers, checks, and international wires. This feature caters to customers who prefer not to use credit cards, providing flexibility and convenience in payment arrangements.

Managing Manual Payments

Once a customer places an order using a manual payment method, it appears as unpaid. After receiving the payment, manually mark the order as paid and proceed with fulfillment. This feature is currently in early access for select merchants. For more details, visit the Shopify manual payments resource.

Filtering Support for Companies

Shopify Plus introduces advanced filtering support for companies and their locations using metafields, enhancing the organization and analysis of B2B customer data for quick information retrieval.

Key Benefits

• Enhanced Organization: Easily filter and locate specific company information.
• Supported Metafields: Utilize types such as single line text, product references, true/false, and more.
• Streamlined Data Management: Apply filters to both companies and their locations for better data analysis.

For setup instructions, visit the Shopify metafields filtering resource.

Headless B2B Storefronts

Full Customization with Headless Commerce

Empower Your Storefront: Shopify’s headless B2B storefronts, available exclusively on Plus, enable complete control over your eCommerce experience using the Storefront API and Customer Account API. This allows for deep customization and seamless integration into your existing workflows.

Storefront API:

• Surface product data anywhere without rate limits.

Customer Account API:

• Build personalized commerce experiences directly into your stack.

Hydrogen Framework:

• Get started quickly with Shopify’s official headless framework, built on Remix.
• Deploy for free with Oxygen, offering a global serverless edge.

Mobile SDKs:

• Create native shopping experiences for Android and iOS.
• Integrate the world’s best-performing checkout into your mobile apps with Checkout Sheet Kit.

Explore how you can extend every part of your platform with Customer Account and Checkout UI extensions. For more details, visit the Shopify developer documentation.

Sync Data with Microsoft Business Central

Seamless Integration for Enhanced Efficiency

The updated Shopify Connector app for Microsoft Business Central, exclusive to Shopify Plus, ensures seamless data synchronization between Shopify and your business management systems. This integration provides a comprehensive solution for small and midsized companies to manage various business aspects efficiently.

Key Features:

• Financial Visibility: Get an overview of profits, costs, and tax calculations.
• Inventory Optimization: Maintain product delivery schedules and adapt to business model changes with visibility across purchasing, manufacturing, and warehouses.
• Business Insights: Predict future sales using AI, automate product ordering, and manage costs effectively.
• Multi-Shop Support: Sync data across multiple Shopify stores, sales channels, and locations.
• Bi-Directional Synchronization: Sync items, products, inventory levels, and customers both ways.
• Order Management: Import orders from Shopify and send fulfillment information back to Shopify.

Additional Updates

Real-Time Overselling Protection

Shopify Collective now provides real-time confirmation of inventory between stores, preventing lost sales and unfulfillable orders. This ensures that inventory levels are accurately reflected, reducing the risk of overselling.

Instant Price Lists

When connecting on Shopify Collective, you can instantly share or receive price lists. This feature allows for quicker partnership setups, enabling businesses to benefit from collaborations sooner.

Bulk Price List Creation

Create custom price lists more efficiently with filters on Shopify Collective. Select all products or use filters like product tags to streamline the process.

For more updates, visit the Shopify Editions Summer 2024 page.

Conclusion

Shopify’s Summer ’24 Editions bring over 150 new features and enhancements designed to elevate eCommerce performance, especially for B2B businesses. These updates streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth by leveraging tools like Shopify Magic, Markets, Hydrogen Visual Editor, and Shopify Collective.

By integrating these innovative features, B2B enterprises can improve efficiency, personalize customer interactions, and expand globally with ease. For detailed implementation and to maximize these updates for your business, contact Trellis today to strategize and tailor Shopify’s powerful tools to your specific needs.