Shopify Just Changed Everything... again 😳 Winter Editions '26 Recap
Here's everything you need to know about Shopify's Winter '26 Editions! We break down Shopify's biggest announcements and what they mean for your store.
Also, welcome back to Helium's Hot Air Show!
In this episode:
00:00 – Winter Editions were wild 😵💫
Intro, Shopify Winter Editions announced.
00:38 – What Is Shopify Editions?
Clarifying what Editions is and how merchants get new features.
01:49 – Livestream Recap
The beanie meme, livestream highlights, and the Renaissance theme.
03:32 – Major AI Updates Overview
High-level look at Shopify’s new AI tools.
04:30 – Rollouts & A/B Testing
Scheduling theme changes + native storefront experimentation.
05:39 – SimJim: What is Shopify's AI Simulation Testing
AI stress-testing your shop using Shopify’s massive data.
08:21 – Sidekick's New Features
Sidekick recommending apps, comparing tools, and building simple apps.
11:19 – SMS Marketing & Product Network
Native SMS in Messaging + cross-store product recommendations.
13:48 – New Developer Tools & App Extensions
Sidekick extensions, deeper app integrations, and new APIs.
16:23 – Agentic Commerce Explained
AI-driven shopping, catalog API, checkout kits, and what this future means.
18:52 – Final Thoughts & What’s Next
Excitement for upcoming deep-dives + viewer call-to-action.
Massive AI Upgrades: From powerful, accessible AI tools for every merchant (not just enterprise) to the evolution of Sidekick—now able to build custom apps and provide expert recommendations.
Introducing SimGym: Learn how this new app uses AI simulation testing with data from billions of purchases to give you personalized, actionable recommendations before you go live!
New Store Management Tools: Get the scoop on Rollouts for automatic theme scheduling and the long-awaited introduction of native A/B testing for your online store.
The Next Big Thing: Agentic Commerce: We unpack this whole new way of shopping, where AI agents can discover products via the Shopify Catalog and complete a purchase with a seamless, pop-up checkout using the Checkout Kit—all without leaving their chat experience.
More Exciting Updates: Quick thoughts on Shopify Product Networks for cross-selling and improvements to SMS marketing.
Watch now to get all the juicy details, plus some speculation on what these changes mean for the ecosystem and your business's future!
Links & Resources:
Shopify Editions Winter '26 Official Site: https://www.shopify.com/editions/wint...
Let us know in the comments: Which Winter '26 Edition feature are you most excited about?