The Shopify Updates Worth Paying Attention To
Key Takeaways
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Shopify winter '26 edition puts AI at the center of how merchants build, test, and sell.
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Sidekick now supports custom app creation for faster experimentation and prototyping.
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Agentic storefronts introduce new ways to sell directly inside AI-powered channels.
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Rollouts and SimGym change how merchants launch and test storefront updates.
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Shopify catalog and Product Network expand inter-store and B2B selling opportunities.
Winter ’26 Edition
Key Highlights from Shopify, According to Our Senior Developer
The Shopify winter '26 edition is one of the most ambitious releases yet, with over 150 updates across the platform. AI is at the center, powering smarter store management, new sales channels, and tools that let merchants and developers experiment, automate, and grow. This Shopify edition gives businesses practical ways to create new commerce experiences and improve operations in ways that weren’t possible just a year ago.
To help make sense of it all, we asked Madison Bentley, Senior Web Developer at Arctic Leaf, to share her highlights. Here’s what she found most impactful for merchants and developers:
Sidekick Can Generate a Custom App
Sidekick continues to evolve as a powerful AI co-pilot for merchants. In this edition, it can generate a custom app tailored to a store’s specific needs. While these AI-generated apps don’t replace developer-built solutions, they are ideal for small tasks, prototypes, or testing ideas before committing to a full build. Madison also notes that Sidekick can integrate with existing apps to surface workflows and data, helping merchants take action quickly.
Sell Directly in AI Channels
Merchants can now sell directly in AI-powered spaces through an agentic storefront using Agentic. This opens new opportunities for engaging with customers without building separate integrations, while giving merchants more control over how their brand is represented in AI-driven interactions.
Smarter Store Management with Rollouts and SimGym
Rollouts allows merchants to schedule site changes, time launches, and run A/B tests natively — no more late-night updates. SimGym introduces AI shoppers, simulating real customer behavior to provide early signals on store changes. Madison cautions that simulated data is useful for experimentation but real-world results should guide major business decisions.
Theme and Account Updates
The Horizon theme received more than 250 updates, including support for AI generated theme adjustments. This allows merchants to create tailored storefronts faster with AI-driven suggestions. The accounts section now includes social sign-on, autofill passcodes, and customizable sign-in copy. Madison notes that while it’s more flexible than before, it’s still limited compared to legacy accounts.
Expanding Inter-Store and B2B Opportunities
Shopify Product Network lets merchants recommend other stores’ products on order confirmation pages and earn commissions. For B2B, features include Shopify Collective, in-store pickup, store credit, and ERP integration. Merchants can also create dynamic storefronts, showcasing products from multiple stores while maintaining control over how their brand appears. Madison emphasizes the growing importance of Shop Pay, which simplifies checkout, improves conversion, and helps keep the brand experience consistent across channels.
Developer Tools and Shopify Catalog
Developers gain new capabilities with the MCP server, enabling AI-assisted conversations to speed up app and feature development. Madison also notes that Shopify Functions will replace Shopify Scripts in June 2026, so merchants should plan migrations now.
The Shopify catalog is central to these updates. Merchants and developers can leverage the Shopify catalog to manage products across stores, power Shopify agentic storefronts, and enable embedded checkouts. The Shopify catalog ensures accurate product discovery, reduces duplicate listings, and supports scalable inter-store commerce while protecting the brand experience.
Shop Pay Integration
Shop Pay now works across AI channels and inter-store commerce, including Shopify agentic storefronts. Madison highlights that Shop Pay reduces friction for customers and encourages repeat purchases, helping merchants maintain a consistent brand experience while making checkout faster and more reliable.
The Bottom Line
According to Madison, the Winter ’26 release is about giving merchants and developers tools to work smarter, experiment faster, and create new commerce experiences. From AI-generated apps to smarter launches, improved B2B support, and dynamic storefronts, this Shopify winter edition demonstrates Shopify’s focus on AI, automation, and collaboration. For merchants ready to explore, it offers practical ways to test, iterate, and grow.
