New Shopify App Helps People Shop Local

Global eCommerce logistics platform Shopify is introducing a new app called Shop that offers personalized recommendations and helps people discover local businesses.

“We are setting out to reimagine the online shopping experience for customers — to provide them greater convenience, transparency, and personalization,” Shopify said in a statement on Tuesday (April 28). 

The Shop app enables people to find local businesses, pay for purchases and track orders. The app combines the features of Shop Pay, which provides one-click checkout, and Arrive, which enables online order tracking. The company said over $8 billion in sales have been processed using Shop Pay. Arrive is used by 16 million shoppers.

“Shopify has focused the last decade on solving complex problems for entrepreneurs by making commerce seamless and accessible,” said Carl Rivera, general manager of Shop. “Now, we want to do the same for customers. We set out to solve the common pain points in the customer’s shopping journey today while developing specific features, like local business discovery, that will be relevant today and in the future.”

Features of the Shop mobile app include location filters; buying details like shipping, pickup and returns; checkout and payments; order tracking; and tailored recommendations. 

It also includes local filters, enabling Shop’s users to locate nearby merchants and support local businesses. The app identifies businesses currently offering shipping or pickup, and highlights return policies.

The company said Shop Pay ensures seamless payment and checkout across all brands on the app. 

“In a world of increasing physical separation, we want to help businesses deepen their connection with their customers and, over time, understand what they want to continue to build trust and loyalty,” Shopify said in its statement.

In January, Shopify introduced starter loans of $200 to help people launch online businesses. Entrepreneurs don’t need a personal guarantee or credit check to get the loan. The funds are paid back in 60 days as a fixed percentage of sales.