I think the reason the Shopify community is so powerful is because it is so global, because people of so many different backgrounds are coming together.
Shopify Unite 2018 wrapped up last week in Toronto, Canada, and it was a whirlwind few days. With product launches, track sessions, office hours, pop-up talks, and even a visit from the Canadian Prime Minister, there was a lot to discuss about the future of entrepreneurship and commerce.
The keynotes that launched day one of Unite set the tone and painted a picture of the future of Shopify. We announced new products to empower our partner community, inspire our merchants, and make commerce better for everyone.
So, in case you missed them the first time around, here are the Unite 2018 keynote presentations.
More Voices—Tobi Lütke, CEO
“The future of commerce as we envision it has more voices, not fewer.”
To kick off the Unite keynotes, CEO Tobi Lütke took the stage. Tobi’s keynote looks at Shopify’s why—why is it that we do what we do? At the heart of what makes Shopify work is the chorus of diverse voices that bring together so many different views, opportunities, and ideas.
Tobi discusses how this belief impacts Shopify’s continuing evolution alongside entrepreneurship, technology, and commerce.
Commerce and Retail—Satish Kanwar, VP of Product
“That’s the real power of our multi-channel vision—one platform, many channels.”
Despite what you may have heard, retail isn’t dead. It’s actually growing, and we want to equip you with the tools you need to help merchants build stronger retail channels.
Satish Kanwar, VP of Product, presents the strengths of our multi-channel platform alongside Daniel Beauchamp, Head of VR, Cynthia Savard Saucier, Director of Design, and Mohammad Hashemi, GM, Financial Services. Together, they uncover the future of retail and what it means to sell anywhere, along with the series of investments we’re making to help merchants sell more globally.
Highlights
- The new Shopify Tap & Chip Reader
- Returns and Exchanges for Shopify POS
- Tipping for Shopify POS
- Customer View for Shopify POS
- AR and VR for Shopify
- The new merchant marketing section
- New discount types
- Dynamic Checkout
- Multi-currency for Shopify Payments
- Multilingual
Own Your Time—Lynsey Thornton, VP of UX
“We understand that time is a merchant’s most valuable resource, so it’s really important that we invest time in building products to help them regain ownership of their time.”
Entrepreneurship is hard. Merchants have a lot to look after, and exciting new launches don’t mean much if they’re too busy handling the backend of their business to leverage them.
We think there’s a better way to work. In her keynote, Lynsey Thornton, VP of UX announces Shopify’s plan to make way for smarter, more automated, and faster tools that will help merchants streamline their days. She is joined on stage by Michael Perry, Director of Product, Marketing Technology to talk about the future of conversations.
Highlights
- Locations for Shopify
- New Inventory API with InventoryItem, InventoryLevel, and Location
- Fraud Protect for Shopify Payments
- Shopify Ping
App and Partner Platform—Brandon Chu, Director of Product, App and Partner Platform
“Commerce is everywhere now, and it belongs to everyone.”
In his keynote, Brandon Chu, Director of Product for the App and Partner Platform discusses the complexities of building technical solutions for the problems in commerce.
With exciting announcements about the growing opportunities on the Shopify platform, he provides a directional compass for Shopify Partners of what to build to help make commerce better for everyone.
Highlights
- GraphQL Admin API
- Connectors for Shopify Flow
- The New Shopify App Store
- Shopify Services Marketplace
Closing Keynote—Harley Finkelstein, Chief Operating Officer
“We believe that a collective pursuit will define the very best version of Shopify for the future of commerce.”
We believe that Shopify will power the storefronts of the future—both online, offline, and everywhere in between. In his keynote, Shopify’s COO Harley Finkelstein provides an overview of all the announcements, our commitment to the Shopify Partner community, and the collective power of the Shopify Partner Ecosystem.
Don’t miss a single announcement
Check out all the announcements we posted during Unite to make sure you’re up to date.
- Build Better Apps Faster with the New Admin API in GraphQL
- 3 New Ways to Entice and Engage App Users
- 3 Ways We're Helping Shopify Partners Build Better Businesses in 2018
- Build the Future of Immersive Shopping Experiences—Introducing New Ways to Work with AR/VR
- Platform Updates That Will Help you Extend Your Offering and Build Faster
- Level-Up Your Theme Development with the Next Release of Slate
- What's New at Shopify: Wrapping up Unite 2018
Get excited for Unite 2019
With Unite 2018 all over, we’re already looking ahead to next year. As Shopify continues to grow, we can’t wait to bring everyone back together again to see how far we go in the next 12 months. We hope Unite has left you excited, inspired, and ready to bring commerce to everyone, everywhere.
What announcements from Unite excite you the most? Let us know in the comments below!
