The 26 most interesting new Shopify e-commerce trends & apps in 2022

We're already more than halfway through 2022, which means it's time to take a look at the latest and greatest developments that have emerged in the Shopify and e-commerce app scene this year. In this blog post, we'll take a look at some of the most noteworthy new Shopify apps and e-commerce trends that we've seen.

Display video reviews on your store to drive sales with social proof

Featuring Gander: Video Reviews & UGC

Starting off strong, Gander is a Shopify app that allows you to embed high-quality video reviews on your store's product pages, collection pages, and cart pages. When a visitor views a product page, a video review on that product will automatically pop up in the corner, showing a satisfied customer who has used your product.

Displaying personalized recommendations in real-time alongside relevant products will help you can increase your conversion rate and average order value. You can also use Gander to understand precisely how your videos perform through the dashboard and conversion reports. 

If you don't have enough user-generated content yet, Gander's network of 600+ content creators can help you generate high-converting UGC and video reviews for just $50/video. Ultimately, Gander is an innovative solution that can help you boost your eCommerce business.

Drive sales with shoppable videos to display on-site and in campaigns

Featuring Shoppable Product Video & Quiz

Keeping with the video theme, Tolstoy is an e-commerce video platform that allows merchants to recommend products with a shoppable video quiz, as well as add shoppable videos to your store site and in email and SMS campaigns. 

Tolstoy has a variety of ready-to-use video templates that merchants and customize to create a branded experience. These shoppable videos can be used in a number of other ways, such as to welcome site visitors, to offer product discounts, and as exit-intent pop-ups to reduce cart abandonment. 

Additionally, users can also import videos from Vimeo, Youtube, TikTok, IG, etc, into Tolstoy to create product gallery videos and product reviews. Overall, Shoppable Product Video & Quiz is an expansive tool that provides merchants with a variety of inventive ways to increase sales and conversions through video content.

Drive free traffic through an ad exchange with other merchants.

Featuring Disco Growth Network

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With the costs of digital advertising rising steeply year after year, we know Shopify merchants are looking for cheaper alternatives to market to their target audience. Ad exchange apps, an up-and-coming app category, get similar brands to partner and share their networks. By posting ads for each other on your store sites, you bring in high-quality traffic for little to no cost. 

Our top pick for this category is Disco Growth Network, which places stylish ads on Thank You pages or post-purchase emails, bringing in new shoppers from other stores. Disco Growth Network also leverages its affiliate networks with loyalty incentives and audience sharing: Shoppers of the network are rewarded Disco Cash that they can use to redeem discounts at any Disco shop, including yours. 

Plus, you can request a custom-built Lookalike Audience using data across their network to improve your paid campaign performance. So for a low-cost alternative to traditional digital advertising that’ll bring targeted traffic to your store, check out Disco Growth Network.

Boost sales by offering discounts for high-volume group purchases

Featuring Jioukou Group Buying

Group buying has been big in Asia for some time, and it's only a matter of time before it takes the west by storm. Jioukou Group Buying is currently the top group-buying app in the category. The app places a "Group Buying" button on the product page of your choice, offering your customers the opportunity to purchase with others. 

You can offer a discount on group purchases, and buyers can share the group link on their social media to invite others to purchase with them. Not only will this bring in new customers, but their savings will be seen on their feeds.  Group buying is a great way to increase social media engagement and get word-of-mouth marketing for your store while increasing your average order value.

Boost buyer engagement and show off products with shoppable video streams

Featuring Live Shopping & Video Streams

Speaking of catching up to trends in Asia, live streaming e-commerce is another industry that's been quite huge in China and is now being picked up by big brands in the west like Amazon and Walmart. 

Live Shopping & Video Streams is our pick for its balance of core features and high-quality video at a reasonable price. You'll be able to boost buyer engagement and accelerate purchase decisions with real-time high-definition product showings. Additionally, your "Live Shop" page will allow viewers to view all products in real-time, and you'll have the flexibility to spotlight products, add items to your viewer's carts live, and pin live chat messages to create an interactive product experience. 

The app also supports a multi-lingual interface to help you increase sales and conversions around the globe. For an enhanced user experience that will improve conversion rates and lower customer acquisition costs, we recommend integrating live shopping into your store.

Create a personalized shopping experience with virtual sales associates

Featuring Boutiq Personal Video Shopping

Live shopping is great for streaming interactive product experiences to audiences, but for a more personalized experience, personal video shopping is the way to go. Personal video shopping allows sales associates to virtually assist customers with their online shopping experience through a one-on-one video chat, and Boutiq Personal Video Shopping is our go-to app in this category because of its intuitive interface, reasonable pricing, and impressive feature set.  

With Boutiq, customers can connect to an associate via a call widget on the bottom left as well as a popup invitation. Your video stylists have access to information of a potential client while on call, such as the customer's buying/browsing history, spending habits, and sizing. The ability to leverage personalized data is what we think makes personal video shopping much more than just a sales associate a real show-stopper in the game. 

Additionally, Boutiq offers core functionality like on-call product showcases, the ability to personalize call links to different hosts, and sales intelligence tools to take care of post-call emails. Overall, Boutiq Personal Video Shopping combines the personalized experience of an in-person sales associate with the data-driven analytics of e-commerce to help you close more sales.

Enhance user experience and customization with augmented reality

Featuring Angle 3D Configurator ‑3D & AR

Speaking of emulating real-life experiences, 3D configurator apps are a game-changer in the Shopify scene. With 3D product visualization and customization, customers can view your products from every angle and view their products with 3D customization options, just like they would in a brick-and-mortar store. 

With augmented reality tools like Angle 3D Configurator, the options are endless. In addition to allowing customers to view your products in a 3D space, the app allows users to create their own customizations, such as colors, textures, variations, text engraving, and even image uploads, with just a couple of clicks. On your end, the bind-variants feature allows you to make sure customers have the right variant in their cart at a customized price, and conditional options logic allows you to eliminate customizations that are out of stock. 

The app is also teasing an animation feature that will allow you to create 3D animations of your products in the future. All in all, Angle 3D Configurator is an impressive tool that allows for a high degree of customization and user experience.

Taking social media followers directly to Shopify checkout with shoppable bio links

Featuring Linkpop by Shopify

Bio links are nothing new, but Shopify has just made it easier for you to convert audiences into customers. With Linkpop, you can sell Shopify products with a single link: customers are directed to a curated page with products that lead directly to Shopify's fast and secure checkout. 

You can also embed music, podcasts, and other forms of content to build your brand image, and share these links on any number of platforms. Shopify reports that Linkpop is 2x more effective at converting traffic into sales than other bio tools, and we think that's because of the native checkout feature that offers a simple and direct checkout process.

Personalize your marketing outreach with detailed segmentation

Featuring Segments Analytics

Segmentation is key when it comes to marketing. By dividing your customer base into specific groups, you can better target each group with relevant messaging and content that speaks to their needs and interests. There's a new host of analytics apps that help you build and plug advanced segmentation into your marketing channels to target your customer base more effectively.

Segments Analytics is the top app for creating customer segments that will make your marketing more effective. With Segments Analytics, you can access over 30 prebuilt customer segments such as Most Likely to Churn or Top Spenders or create custom segments based on any criteria you want. Additionally, Segment's product journey and product relations features allow you to discover what customers bought early on and predict what they may purchase next. 

Segments also has robust core features as an analytics app, with key metrics such as new vs repeat revenue and profit margins, business intelligence reports, and helpful insights like repurchase timing and next purchase mapping. Additionally, you'll be able to track customer activity in 30/60/90 intervals for up to 2 years with customer cohort progress charts. By using customer segmentation, you can greatly improve your marketing efforts by targeting the right customers with the right messages.

Collect zero party data and personalize the customer experience with a quiz

Featuring Octane AI: Quiz Growth Tools

Product quizzes are another increasingly popular tool e-commerce merchants are using to personalize the customer experience and boost sales. Quizzes not only entertain and engage your customers but also help you gather important data about their preferences and needs.

Octane AI: Quiz Growth Tools is the most powerful quiz tool we've seen. The app allows you to create custom quizzes with questions and logic branches that lead your customer to the product they're looking for. Additionally, the app allows you to create personalized product and bundle recommendations that will increase your average order value.

In addition to the quiz builder, Octane AI also offers integrations with other marketing tools like Klaviyo, Yotpo, and Gorgias. This means that you can use the data you collect from quizzes to improve your marketing efforts and personalize your customer's experience with targeted ads and messages. Overall, product quizzes are an excellent tool for gathering data about your customers and using that data to create a more personalized shopping experience for them.

Create exclusivity and build a community with Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)

Featuring Novel

Whatever your opinion on them is, no new e-commerce trends list can be complete without mentioning NFTs. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a new type of cryptocurrency that are unique and cannot be replicated, which is what makes them valuable. These tokens can be used to unlock special features or perks on your store, driving customer engagement and loyalty.

Novel is a new app that allows you to create, sell, and add perks to these digital collectibles. With the Novel Generator, you'll be able to create digital assets that represent your brand and products without code and sell them straight on your Shopify store, such as alongside physical products. Novel gives you the ability to manage all aspects of your community, including perks and token-gating as well as airdrops or mailing lists. 

Novel allows you to give all kinds of perks to your NFT holders, such as exclusive drops, events, or access token-based storefront features. Plus, your brand gets a cut every time one of your NFTs is resold, helping you drive repeat revenue. Additionally, Novel allows you to connect to OpenSea, the most popular NFT marketplace, and add to popular NFT wallets. Apps like Novel allow you to easily create NFTs to drive customer engagement and generate revenue.

Expand your reach and stay ahead of the curve by accepting cryptocurrency

Featuring Crypto.com

Adding cryptocurrency as a payment method allows customers to pay for your products with digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. This can help you reach new customers and expand your business into new markets. By accepting cryptocurrency, you're staying ahead of the curve and indicating that you're an innovative e-commerce merchant.

Additionally, using cryptocurrency as a payment method can help you increase sales. Cryptocurrency is quickly becoming more popular, with more people than ever before using it to make purchases online. Offering your customers the option to pay with cryptocurrency will make you more competitive and could lead to increased conversions. Shopify now offers built-in support for Bitcoin and Ethereum, making it easy for you to start accepting these popular cryptocurrencies.

To get started, simply enable one of the several cryptocurrency payment methods Shopify accepts, such as Crypto.com, Coinbase Commerce, and BitPay, from the Payments page of your Shopify admin settings. We recommend using Crypto.com for lower fees, more opportunities to earn, and interest on deposits. 

With the Crypto.com Pay feature enabled, your customers can choose from over 20 tokens to make payments. Cryptocurrency is an exciting and rapidly growing field that offers a range of benefits, and understanding cryptocurrency and how to use it as an e-commerce merchant can be a huge advantage.

Scale your e-commerce business with revenue-based financing

Featuring Pipe

If you're a new e-commerce company, you're probably running on super thin margins. Scaling your business as a new D2C company can be difficult when you don't have the funds to acquire new customers or order inventory.

That's where revenue-based financing comes in. This new lending model allows you to convert revenue streams into upfront capital by paying a cut of your profits until you pay back a loan. This alternative funding path allows you to access growth capital without giving up a stake in your company.

Pipe is one of the most popular revenue-based financing solutions out there. With Pipe, you have flexible access to non-dilutive financing without the sneaky fine print, limitations, or complications of traditional loans. There's no need to spend time negotiating or fundraising — Pipe will show you what's available based on how well you're doing as a company. instead of worrying about capital, you can focus on scaling your business, whether that means inventory, marketing, or expansion.

Drive revenue and prioritize sustainability with resale and recommerce

Featuring Recurate

Consumers are becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchase decisions. Secondhand marketplaces like Poshmark have seen tremendous growth catering to this new generation of sustainable consumers.  This trend is called recommence and as a brand you should be an active participant in the aftermarket for your products.

With Recurate, you can add a recommerce section to your Shopify store where customers can buy and sell pre-owned items. The app also allows you to offer consignment services, so customers can trade in their old items for store credit or cash. 

When customers ship back an item, Recurate's partner network authenticates, cleans, and photographs the items before they are posted onto your website as pre-loved options. Overall, Recurate is an excellent way to add a sustainability-focused element to your store while generating additional revenue.

Reach more customers and increase response rates with direct mail

Featuring PostPilot

In today's technological overload of marketing emails, getting physical mail can make customers feel special. Direct mail can be a powerful tool to reach more customers and increase your response rates. By providing exclusive discount codes in your postcards, for example, direct mail can be a powerful booster to online sales.

With PostPilot, you can easily create and send customized direct mail campaigns right from your Shopify admin. PostPilot allows you to target specific customers based on their location, purchase history, or other criteria. You can also create custom landing pages for your direct mail campaigns, which can help you increase conversions.

Additionally, direct mail campaigns can be just as easy as email marketing — PostPilot calls itself the Klaviyo of direct mail, and with its automated workflows, segmented mail templates, and professional designs, we can see why. And it's not just postcards: PostPilot claims its handwritten cards are created by trademarked robots that use real ink pens to create the personal touch of a human hand. So if you're looking for a way to reach more customers with a unique and tangible experience, consider direct mail.

Improve the customer experience with frictionless subscription payments

Featuring Skio

If you're a subscription-based business, finding a subscription app that is user-friendly, reliable, and has great customer service should be your priority. With its limited flexibility, unintuitive UI, and poor customer service, subscription giants like Recharge just aren't cutting it anymore. While we're on the topic of trends, updating your subscription app is an imperative part of keeping your customers happy and saving time on the backend.

Skio Subscriptions is our pick for a subscription app that's innovating the game. Skio has a number of highlights that we think makes it stand out as a subscription app for a business in 2022. Features like 1-click checkout and passwordless login minimize hassles for both buyers and sellers, and Skio's instant editing feature allows merchants to edit multiple products in a subscription at a time.

Plus, Skio operates on modern, more flexible software which allows it to roll out new features in the same amount of time as older subscription apps. And with Skio's easy migrations that allow you to rollout migrations gradually and test the app on new users, you'll have no problem transitioning from apps like Recharge. For a seamless customer experience and a subscription app that stays ahead of the curve, Skio is the way to go.

Increase conversions by offering buy now, pay later installment plans

Featuring Shop Pay Installments

Letting customers choose how they want to pay is a great way to increase conversions. Buy now, pay later options expand your customer base, reduce cart abandonment, and allow customers to maximize their budget.

Shopify now offers installment plans as a payment option for your customers. This allows them to pay for their purchases over time, without having to take out a loan or use a credit card. Installment plans are a great way to increase sales, as they allow customers to buy more expensive items that they might not have been able to afford otherwise. They're also a great way to increase loyalty, as customers who have installment plans are more likely to return and make additional purchases.

You'll need to add Shop Pay Installments to your online store to set up an installment plan. This integration allows customers to pay for their purchases in 4 interest-free payments every 2 weeks, or monthly up to 12 months, while you get paid in full upfront. Additionally, there are no late fees for customers, and customers can enjoy a seamless checkout experience that happens directly on Shopify. For a convenient and flexible payment solution that will increase your average order value and improve your customer experience, consider offering payment installments.

Take your business to new markets by going international

Featuring Advanced Shipping Rules, G | translate

Expanding into new markets can seem daunting, especially as a small e-commerce merchant. But going global has a number of clear benefits, including increased revenue potential, increased brand awareness, and improved competitive edge. And with Shopify's new built-in translation tools, gaining exposure to international audiences has never been easier.

Translations API can store translated buyer-facing content like products and collections. Additionally, Shopify Payments allows merchants to sell in multiple payments so you can localize your currency. Shopify has also partnered with leading payment gateways in a variety of countries so you can localize payment integrations.

There are also a host of apps to help you localize your store, including geolocation, translation, and shipping. Our top picks are G | translate, which helps you translate your shop into native languages with google automatic translation, and Advanced Shipping Rules, to help you create unique rates for different zones and locations. With Shopify's integrations and apps, you can easily create and manage a multilingual e-commerce store that caters to customers all over the world.

Remove barriers to purchase and increase conversions with 2-way SMS marketing

Featuring SMS Text Messaging & Marketing

Uncertainties prevent customers from completing purchases. Not knowing if an item will ship in time or if a subscription has a free trial can be a deciding factor for a customer to opt out of purchasing a product they're interested in. And the last thing you want is for a client to have to go through a long chain of emails and wait times to get the answer they need – chances are, they've already switched to the competitor.

2-way SMS marketing can be a great way to increase conversions and remove barriers to purchase. By sending text messages to customers who have opted-in, you can remind them about sales and promotions, answer questions about products, and even provide customer service. Rather than using an outdated and inconvenient method of communication like emails, customers can easily text your representatives and receive responses in real-time. This immediacy can be incredibly valuable, as it allows you to address customer concerns and answer questions quickly. Two-way SMS marketing also helps build customer loyalty, as customers feel like they're getting personalized attention from your business.

One of the top 2-way SMS messaging apps on Shopify is SMS Text Messaging & Marketing, and we can see why. The app allows you to respond to customer queries quickly and effectively with images and GIFS and send automated messages triggered by actions like a new purchase or abandoned cart. Furthermore, the app allows you to send mass messages to custom segments of customers, dive deeper into customer profiles and buyer history, and easily build subscriber lists. Customer experience is crucial to converting customers, and 2-way SMS is an essential tool for businesses that want to improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.

Keep customers coming back with automated and personalized replenishment reminders

Featuring Repeat

Getting first-time customers to make a second purchase from your store is one of the biggest challenges for online business owners. Rather than offering subscriptions, providing customers with timely and personalized reminders can help them keep track of their re-order dates and ensure that they never run out of their favorite products. Automated replenishment emails can be a huge time-saver for both you and your customers, and they can be easily set up with Shopify's email marketing apps as well as replenishment apps.

Repeat is our pick for replenishment software. This automated solution uses data and personalized reordering experiences to remind your customers when it’s time to reorder their favorite products. This prevents them from running out of stock and keeps your business top-of-mind. With Get Repeat, you can send email or SMS reminders, and even automate the entire replenishment process so your customers never have to think about it. Plus, our personalized recommendations engine ensures that your customers always have the perfect product to suit their needs. Repeat tracks your customer’s purchase history so they can reorder favorites, get recommendations, or even get a personalized bundle. 

While subscriptions can often be inflexible and difficult to manage for customers, replenishment reminders offer a pay-as-you-go option that keeps customers coming back. Instead of complaining about uncanceled subscriptions or difficulties changing their orders, customers will be sent replenishment reminders that will remind them to reorder at their own time, offering an improved customer experience.

Increase conversion rates by offering same-day delivery with last-mile delivery partnerships

Featuring Local Delivery Dispatch

In today's fast-paced world, customers often don't have the time to go shopping for products. This is where last-mile delivery partnerships come in, as companies like DoorDash have partnered with stores to offer same-day delivery of Shopify products. Put simply, last mile delivery is the process of getting products from a central location to the customer's doorstep.

One of the main reasons that last mile delivery is so important is because it can make or break a customer's experience. If a customer has to wait long periods of time for their order to arrive, they are likely to be frustrated and may never shop with you again. Another reason that last mile delivery is important is because it can help businesses reduce costs. By using a third-party courier service instead of hiring employees to do the deliveries themselves, businesses can save money on labour costs. Using a third-party courier service like DoorDash can help you expand your reach and deliver orders to more customers in less time.

One of our top picks for third-party courier services is Local Delivery Dispatch by Shipday, an app that allows you to automate deliveries from drivers at companies like DoorDash and Uber. With a simple API integration, you'll be able to manage all delivery orders and route planning with an easy-to-use tracking dashboard and with the mobile app, you'll be able to give customer's real-time updates on their orders. By offering same-day delivery and providing excellent customer service, you can create loyal customers who are more likely to return in the future.

New AI Tools for your business in 2022

Write branded content quicker and easier with an AI assistant - Copywriting AI

Featuring Jasper.ai

If you're looking for a content writing assistant that will take care of all the small tasks that eat up your time, look no further than Jasper.ai. This AI-powered content writing assistant will help you write branded content quicker and easier, so you can focus on the bigger picture.

With Jasper.ai, all you have to do is type in your topic and the app will take care of the rest, providing you with a wealth of research and data to get started. You start from scratch or work with Jasper's 50+ templates, and Jasper.ai also offers personalized support and feedback to help you improve your writing skills over time. You can even customize the tone of voice and command Jasper to scrape information from a web page. 

So if you're looking to free up some time and improve your writing at the same time, Jasper.ai is the perfect app for you. (Psst — Jasper might've been used to write this paragraph!)

Automate busywork with workflows across multiple apps - Automated Workflows

Featuring Zapier

Tired of logging into 10 different platforms and updating your KPI metrics in a spreadsheet manually? Then Zapier is the app for you. Zapier is an app that allows you to connect different apps and services together, so you can automate tedious tasks and save time. 

 With Zapier, you can create workflows across multiple apps with just a few clicks, so you can focus on the things that matter most. For example, you can connect your Shopify store with your email marketing tool, CRM, accounting software, and more. This way, when someone makes a purchase in your store, Zapier can automatically add that customer to your email list and send them a welcome email, or add the purchase data to your CRM. 

With over 5000+ apps integrated with Zapier, the possibilities are endless. So if you're looking to automate your busy work, Zapier is perfect for you.

Automate your customer service with a self-improving chatbot - AI chatbot

Featuring Userbot.ai

Looking for a chatbot that can help you automate your customer service? Look no further than Userbot.ai. This AI-powered chatbot can help you manage your Shopify store, answer customer questions, and more. Userbot is designed to help businesses reduce the need for human operators.

 The chatbot uses artificial intelligence to parse customer queries and provide answers. If the chatbot is unable to provide an answer, it will hand off the conversation to a human operator. However, the chatbot will continue to monitor the conversation and learn from it. This learning process will help the chatbot become more intuitive and effective over time.

In addition, the Userbot system provides businesses with useful customer data. This data can be used to monitor the effectiveness of sales teams or customer support teams. If you're looking for an ai chatbot to help you automate your e-commerce business, Userbot.ai is perfect for you.

Create more opportunities in less time with automated emails - Automated Email Campaigns

Featuring Reply.io

As an e-commerce merchant, you know that marketing your business and creating new opportunities can be tedious. Cold outreach and email marketing can suck up much of your time, leaving you scrambling to do important tasks like perfecting your sales solution. Reply.io is the AI email automating solution for every sales team.

The platform is noteworthy for its ability to help merchants automate their email campaigns. With Reply.io, you can easily create and manage all your automated email campaigns from one central dashboard. Reply.io can help you automate outbound sales to find and target new prospects, inbound sales to engage trial users, reach out to potential partners to grow your business on a larger scale, and so much more.

Plus, the app offers a wide range of features and integrations that allow you to customize your campaigns to fit your specific needs. If you're looking for a tool that can help you automate your customer service while you close the deal, Reply.io is the perfect app for you.

Drive conversions with personalized AI recommendations

Featuring Personalized Recommendations by Glood.AI

When it comes to providing personalized recommendations, artificial intelligence has a lot to offer. AI-powered recommendations are suggestions that are based on a customer's past purchases, interests, or demographic information. When used correctly, they can be a powerful tool for increasing sales and engagement.

 Glood.AI is our pick for the app to help you customize the buyer experience. The app's proprietary algorithm generates recommendations to target customers based on past order data, events like add-to-cart, and product page views, and looks for patterns in user behavior to find what they are looking for. Glood.AI supports recommendations like For You, Frequently Bought Together Upsell, Cross-Sell, and Similar Products, just to name a few.

The app generates automatic recommendations based on machine learning, but you can also target conversions by defining recommendation rules based on product tags or type. Additionally, you can override AI recommendations with manual ones for more specific targeting. AI-powered recommendation tools like Glood.AI are a great way to improve your customer experience and boost sales.

Conclusion

The apps and trends we've covered in this article are some of the most innovative and noteworthy ones we’ve seen so far in 2022. If you're looking for a way to improve your e-commerce business, these apps are worth checking out.