Shopify, a leading e-commerce platform, is broadening access to its AI-powered features to attract more businesses to its ecosystem. Shopify has announced an expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) tools, making them available to a broader range of users. During its biannual product event, Shopify revealed that features such as the Sidekick assistant and an advanced AI image-editing tool are now accessible to more merchants.
The AI image-editing tool, previously limited to online product images, can now be used on smartphones to enhance promotional materials, including emails. This feature allows businesses to create high-quality visuals quickly and efficiently, improving their marketing efforts.
Shopify has also extended the availability of Sidekick, a chatbot that assists merchants with queries and provides insights into customer behaviour. Initially tested with over 2,000 users, Sidekick is now available to a wider audience, helping more merchants optimize their operations.
To create a more integrated and seamless user experience, Shopify has rolled out over 150 updates. These enhancements are designed to support businesses in scaling their operations more effectively. Shopify President Harley Finkelstein emphasized that these updates aim to make the platform more powerful and user-friendly.
Following a forecast of its slowest quarterly revenue growth in two years, Shopify announced plans to increase its marketing efforts to regain momentum. The slowdown, driven by high inflation and uncertain consumer spending, has particularly affected Shopify’s core user base of small and medium-sized businesses.
Despite these challenges, some analysts view the current situation as a strategic buying opportunity. J.P. Morgan analysts noted that Shopify’s significant R&D investments have resulted in a robust range of features and capabilities, maintaining the company’s competitive advantage.
Beyond AI advancements, Shopify is offering Canadian merchants a program that allows them to set precise budgets for social media campaigns, with charges applied only when new customers make purchases. Merchants using Shopify’s point-of-sale technology can now generate digital receipts and receive notifications about returns that fall outside company policy.
Additionally, Shopify has partnered with U.S. retailer Target Corp., allowing Shopify merchants to sell products through Target Plus, a third-party marketplace. This partnership will soon bring Shopify merchants’ products to Target stores.
These announcements come just before Shopify’s developer conference in Toronto and follow CEO Tobi Lutke’s celebration of reaching over $1 trillion in cumulative gross merchandise value on the platform, with 90% of this value achieved in the past five years.
Shopify aims to help merchants grow and succeed in a competitive e-commerce environment. As the company continues to innovate and adapt, it remains a leading force in the global market.