Shopify has delivered some of the biggest improvements to product management and merchandising in over a decade. If you manage a growing catalog or push the limits of Shopify's old structures, these updates are game-changing.
At Expatify, we help merchants take full advantage of these new capabilities—optimizing catalogs, improving discoverability, and driving more sales. Here’s a deep dive into the major product-related changes from the past year.
2,000 Variants Per Product: Finally Here
One of the most awaited changes is the increase of the variant limit to up to 2,000 variants per product (previously capped at 100).
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No more need to split complex products into multiple listings.
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Better SEO, as traffic consolidates onto fewer product pages.
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Simplified inventory and fulfillment management.
Shopify has rolled out this capability via a new product model, initially for Shopify Plus merchants.
At Expatify, we’ve helped merchants in fashion, furniture, and custom goods consolidate product lines, improving both backend operations and customer experience.
Rich Product Data: New Taxonomy and Attributes
Shopify introduced a standardized product taxonomy with category-specific attributes, such as material, fit, or activity type.
Benefits include:
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Easier filtering on storefronts
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Better SEO metadata
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More structured product data for external sales channels
Merchants can now map products to Shopify’s taxonomy or let Shopify’s AI auto-suggest categories—saving time and improving discoverability.
Native Bundles and Subscription Selling
Shopify added two powerful native selling features:
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Shopify Bundles App: Create product bundles without third-party apps, with inventory automatically managed across components.
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Shopify Subscriptions: Offer subscription products using Shopify’s native checkout—no more complex integrations required.
Both are designed to be upgrade-safe and integrate seamlessly with Shop Pay, Shopify Analytics, and Markets.
Expatify has already helped clients in beauty, food, and fashion sectors implement these features—increasing AOV and customer retention.
AI-Powered Search and Filtering
Shopify launched several enhancements to help customers find products faster:
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Semantic Search (for Plus stores): AI understands natural language, improving search relevance.
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Color Swatches and Visual Filters: Storefront filtering is now more visual and intuitive.
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Dynamic Filter Ordering: Shopify can automatically prioritize relevant filter options based on customer behavior.
If you haven't optimized your Search & Discovery app settings yet, now is the time. A well-tuned filtering and search experience can dramatically boost conversions.
Other Key Merchandising Enhancements
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Gift Card Scheduling: Customers can now schedule when digital gift cards are delivered.
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Combined Listings (Plus-only): List variants as separate products in collections while consolidating inventory management.
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Markets Enhancements: Adjust product availability, pricing, and translations by market more easily.
All these upgrades create a more flexible, scalable, and global-ready product catalog.
Why Merchants Should Act Now
If your catalog structure hasn't been updated recently, you could be:
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Missing out on higher conversion rates from better filtering and search.
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Losing operational efficiency managing split products.
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Overpaying for apps that Shopify now covers natively.
At Expatify, we help merchants audit their catalogs, redesign product structures, and implement the latest tools—future-proofing their growth.
How Expatify Can Help
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Catalog restructuring: Merge fragmented products using the 2,000-variant capability.
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Bundling and subscription setup: Create offers that boost AOV and loyalty.
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Search & filter optimization: Improve customer journeys and discovery.
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Markets configuration: Tailor product availability and pricing per region.
With our Shopify Experts team, you can implement these upgrades efficiently and strategically, unlocking new revenue streams.
Conclusion: Smarter Catalogs, Smarter Selling
Shopify's product catalog and merchandising upgrades empower merchants to sell more flexibly and intelligently. By adopting these tools early, you position your store for stronger growth and a better customer experience.
Want to optimize your Shopify catalog for the future? Contact Expatify today. We’ll help you modernize your product setup, unlock new revenue opportunities, and scale globally with confidence.
