{"id":9377,"date":"2025-12-12T08:20:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T08:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/?p=9377"},"modified":"2025-12-12T10:15:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:15:04","slug":"shopify-winter-edition-2026-non-un-semplice-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/shopify-winter-edition-2026-not-a-simple-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Shopify Winter Edition 2026: not just an update"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>While many competitors polish interfaces born over a decade ago, Shopify continues to push towards an ecommerce model in which AI, automation and enterprise infrastructure are part of the 'basic package', not optional add-ons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article I line up - neatly and without frills - the most important new features, what they really mean for merchants and where, in my opinion, key pieces are still missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Sidekick and AI: the control panel becomes a co-pilot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The heart of the Winter Edition is the evolution of <strong>Sidekick<\/strong>the AI assistant integrated in Admin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sidekick as 'operational co-pilot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sidekick is not a simple chatbot:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>answers questions about the business (sales, margins, campaign performance, customer behaviour),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>suggests concrete actions,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and can <strong>run them<\/strong>theme changes, creating segments, updating flows, generating reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The aim is clear: to reduce the need to 'fiddle around' and transform many tasks from manual clicks to natural language instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automation, Flow and Complex Tasks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>An important part of the update concerns automation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sidekick can <strong>create and edit flows in Shopify Flow<\/strong> starting with prompts such as:<br><em>\"When a VIP customer places an order above 200\u20ac, apply a discount on the next order and send a dedicated email.\"<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>supports <strong>multi-step activities<\/strong> (launch plans, sequences of related actions),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>helps to <strong>test and optimise<\/strong> automations and reports, with readable previews and insights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who already use Flow, it is an accelerator. For those who have never touched it, it is a way to enter the world of automation without starting from the blank canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Generation of apps, content and theme blocks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sidekick goes beyond text and analysis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>generates <strong>small internal apps<\/strong> (e.g. returns eligibility check, B2B importer, reordering tools),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>create <strong>blocks and sections for Online Store 2.0 themes<\/strong>reducing the need for customised interventions,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>supports the <strong>content creation<\/strong>: email marketing and transactional, SEO texts, translations, copy variants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a clear message to stores that live on hacks and micro-apps: part of what used to be delegated to marketplaces or ad-hoc developments will move into Shopify's core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Agentic Storefronts: bringing the catalogue into AI chats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most strategic innovations is the introduction of <strong>Shopify Agentic Storefronts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>your store's catalogue is <strong>centralised and made available to conversational shopping experiences<\/strong> (ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, etc.),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you set rules, data, priorities,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and customers can discover and purchase your products directly from these AI interfaces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is the first concrete step towards a model in which the 'shop window' is no longer just the site, but a series of <strong>intelligent conversational interfaces<\/strong>.<br>For brands with ambitions for international growth and a strong focus on discovery, this is a terrain that needs to be covered soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Online store: serious rollouts, simulations and more control over the catalogue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the storefront and catalogue side, the Winter Edition pushes very much in the enterprise direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rollout and testing of theme changes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here comes a true system of <strong>rollout for themes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you can <strong>scheduling launches<\/strong> of modifications,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>send only part of the traffic to the new version (A\/B or progressive rollout),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>collect data before releasing to everyone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a huge leap from the classic 'publish the new theme and cross your fingers'.<br>For those working with structured brands, strong seasonality and large campaigns, this is a tool that reduces risk and allows for continuous experimentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SimGym: Simulate clients before going live<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With the app <strong>Shopify SimGym<\/strong>, Shopify introduces a new approach to testing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>uses AI agents based on the data of <strong>billions of real sessions<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>simulates customer behaviour on new UX, layouts, pricing,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>returns recommendations before sending everything online.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It does not replace the actual a posteriori analysis, but displaces some of the optimisation work <strong>upstream<\/strong>before the go-live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Variants, 'unlisted' status and collections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the catalogue, some novelties go straight to the point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2048 variants per product<\/strong><br>No more absurd structures to manage complex combinations (size, colour, length, material...). The limit increases by an order of magnitude, with native stock and price management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New product status: 'Not listed'.<\/strong><br>The product is active, but <strong>does not appear in collections and search<\/strong>only accessible via direct link. Perfect for:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>reserved catalogues,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>landing of campaigns,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>offers dedicated to specific segments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improvements to automatic collections<\/strong><br>You can duplicate collections, exclude products with negative conditions and work with more refined logic.<br>(However, as we shall see, the issue of the <strong>OR<\/strong> advanced in smart collections).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prices, discounts and bundles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Other important 'reminders':<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Automatic discounts for customer segments<\/strong> (e.g. VIP): promotions that apply only to eligible members of the public without the need for codes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compare-at prices<\/strong> done well, manageable directly by Admin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global unit pricing<\/strong>price per kg\/litre\/piece with support for different standards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shopify Enhanced Bundles<\/strong>with combination options (size + length, etc.) in one clean selection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these functions move Shopify more and more towards logics from <strong>advanced merchandising<\/strong>without having to go through scripts or third-party apps for every need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Customer experience: easier access, social login and shop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the end-customer side, the aim is to break down friction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Login with social accounts (Google\/Facebook)<\/strong> out-of-the-box.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Simplified login with the Shop app<\/strong>: those who already use Shop can authenticate themselves in other stores with a tap.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automatic Passcode Compilation on iOS 26+<\/strong> for code-based access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customers can <strong>update your account e-mail<\/strong> autonomously.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Texts of login\/passcode pages <strong>customisable from the theme's content editor<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It sounds like a detail, but in reality it is deep work on trust, recognition and reducing friction in the login\/checkout phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Retail and POS: more robust hardware and true retail chain functions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For those with physical shops, this Winter Edition speaks volumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">POS Hub: the hardware 'brain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Shopify introduces a <strong>POS Hub<\/strong> that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>connects wired readers, printers and scanners,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reduces dependence on Bluetooth (and related problems),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>integrates computing power and automatic firmware updates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a typical 'enterprise' move: less instability, more control, more scalability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New retail features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the most relevant novelties<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Subscriptions sold in the shop<\/strong> via Shopify Subscriptions integrated in the POS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Quick inventory counting from POS<\/strong> (POS Pro): scan and update directly in the shop.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Markets applied to retail<\/strong>prices and availability per physical store.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stock transfers managed by the POS<\/strong>with the possibility of accepting\/rejecting shipments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customisable return receipts via Liquid<\/strong> and flexible refund management (original method, gift card, store credit).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who operate several shops in different countries are increasingly finding themselves within a single platform, instead of a patchwork of systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Marketing and CRM: native messaging, segmentation and calendaring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the marketing side, the direction is clear: <strong>marginalising external tools for basic functions<\/strong> and move more and more activities into Shopify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shopify Messaging<\/strong> now supports the<strong>SMS marketing<\/strong> complete: creation, planning, sending, tracking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automatic form translation<\/strong> (Shopify Forms) in multiple languages, for multilingual leads without localisation problems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advanced segmentation<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>improved templates for segments,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>segments based on the <strong>product categories viewed\/purchased<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>intelligent email and SMS suggestions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dynamic product sections in emails<\/strong>best sellers and collections entered automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Calendar view<\/strong> for messaging: an integrated email and SMS planner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Marketing consent<\/strong> managed in a finer manner (checkboxes, mandatory, preferences).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another important signal: the possibility of using <strong>web pixels in account pages<\/strong> to track the entire post-purchase experience and reserved area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Operations and analytics: fine control, multi-store and less noise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For operations, the Winter Edition brings many 'little' big things, especially for those working with large volumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Multi-store Analytics (Shopify Plus)<\/strong>centralised view at organisation level, with comparisons between stores.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Time Heatmaps<\/strong> and date\/time filters down to the minute for flash sale and drop analysis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Filter bot in Analysis<\/strong> to clean up conversion rates and reports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unlimited stock history 180 days<\/strong>useful for long-term audits and control.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lightning offers with multi-location stock<\/strong>to avoid overselling in aggressive campaigns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advanced Chargeback Management<\/strong> enhanced by AI, especially where Shopify Payments is active.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improved flow<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>new vertical layout,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>possibility of cancelling pending executions,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>preview of results on test data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The message: Shopify is not just 'shop window and shopping cart', but a serious operational layer designed for those who have to make decisions on clean data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. B2B: Global Collective, credit and ERP integrations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>B2B continues to be an area of strong investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shopify Collective extended to over 35 countries<\/strong>: selling and buying in bulk between Shopify merchants in the network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Directory of dealers<\/strong> to bring brands and retailers together.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In-store credit for B2B locations<\/strong>manageable from the company profile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In-store pick-up for B2B<\/strong>no longer just for B2C.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Payment terms and dynamic down payments<\/strong> via apps based on Functions (Plus).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rules for the <strong>B2B order review<\/strong> (automatic flags based on value, products, conditions).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhanced integrations with ERPs (NetSuite, Brightpearl, Sage, etc.) via ready connectors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In parallel, the official theme <strong>Horizon<\/strong> is made natively compatible with B2B features such as volume pricing, quantity rules and quick order lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Development: Scripts to Functions, MCP and dev tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the development side, the direction is clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shopify Functions will replace Scripts in 2026<\/strong>with migration indicated for <strong>June 2026<\/strong>.<br>Those who are critical of Scripts must start planning the rewrite.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shopify Dev MCP<\/strong> supports:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hydrogen and Storefront API,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liquid,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>UI POS extensions,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>validation of API calls and code generation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bulk API<\/strong> more powerful: all Admin mutations supported, up to 100MB and 5 simultaneous operations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Metafield and metaobject<\/strong> improved (faster queries, richer filters, higher limits).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Admin Intents API<\/strong> to start Admin flows with one line of code.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tangle<\/strong>, open source ML\/data platform with collaborative visual editor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CLI with commands for <strong>multi-environmental themes<\/strong> and more structured preview management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a platform that increasingly speaks the language of those who develop 'serious' products, not just showcase sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. What is still missing (and why it is not a detail)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the midst of this sea of novelties, however, some gaps remain which, for those who work with Shopify on a daily basis, are not details:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>discounts and collections by market<\/strong> managed in a very granular way,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>more advanced OR operators in smart collections<\/strong>fundamental to certain complex merchandising logics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are real shortcomings, not nuances.<br>That said, the direction is clear: Shopify is consolidating a positioning <strong>at the top of the ecommerce software food chain<\/strong>with a rate of innovation that makes it increasingly difficult to pass oneself off as an 'enterprise' alternative by relying on old architectures disguised as new UIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. What it means for merchants and brands (and how to prepare)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you already have a Shopify store or are considering a migration, Winter Edition 2026 is a strong signal. Switching to an Online Store 2.0 compatible theme is a must, as is using SimGym with all the A\/B tools to minimise errors in version changes. Furthermore, if until now you have kept AI on the sidelines, it is now essential to put it at the centre of your processes, and with Sidekick this is possible.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shopify's Winter Edition 2026 is not a list of 'minor improvements': it is yet another product and power manifesto.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[85,84,56,86,82],"class_list":["post-9377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-shopify","tag-agentic","tag-ai","tag-shopify","tag-simgym","tag-update"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9377"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9378,"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9377\/revisions\/9378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkoo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}