Shopify Entrepreneur Weekly

Hey there👋

Black Friday is behind us, and it's time to reflect on your store’s performance and gear up for the final month of the year. December is your chance to make those last-minute adjustments and finish the year on a high note!

If your store’s design or functionality needs a quick fix or a final touch, our team at shopexperts is here to help. From small tweaks to larger development projects, we’re ready to jump in and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Focus on what matters most—delighting your customers and maximizing sales. We'll handle the rest.

📩 Submit your project now, and let’s make sure your store is in perfect shape to close out the year!

Cheers to a strong finish,
– Lidia from shopexperts

💫

In this week's edition:

• The latest updates from the ecommerce world.

• This week’s stats–let’s see how Black Friday went!

• Get paid to share your insights! Interview opportunity for Shopify merchants and operators.

• Awesome tip to optimize your store.

• A pic of the week.

Industry news

• Shopify has released Shopify Audiences v2.4, featuring a new audience type, improved Retargeting Boost audiences, and enhanced algorithms to improve ad performance. The new "Existing Customer Plus" audience helps merchants exclude lifetime customers from prospecting campaigns, cutting ad spend waste. Built on millions of Shopify insights, this audience excludes 40% more customers than standard ad lists and can also be used to reengage existing customers through remarketing.

• Key updates in Shopify Audiences v2.4 include:

  – Exclude 40% more customers on average with Existing Customer Plus compared to standard lists

  – Achieve up to 50% better performance with Retargeting Boost audiences vs. version 2.3

  – Add Meta Retargeting Boost and Prospecting audiences to ad sets directly in the app

  – View Meta audience usage in ad sets directly in the app

  – Get improved guidance on audience export and troubleshooting

• X and Shopify are offering a holiday promotion where X will match Shopify merchants' ad spend 100% for 30 days, up to $100k USD. To participate, merchants must be based in the US or Canada, submit a form, install the X Shopify app, and connect with an X Ads Specialist. The offer is valid until Dec 8, with credits expiring 30 days after issuance. No minimum ad spend is required.

• Chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu, Shein, and TikTok Shop are dominating US holiday spending this year as shoppers seek deals. TikTok Shop’s sales tripled in early November, while Temu and Shein saw sales increase by 18% and 16%, respectively, according to an Earnest Analytics report analyzing credit card data.

Stat of the week

Black Friday is over, and new milestones were hit! Here’s how Shopify entrepreneurs crushed it this year.

Total global BFCM sales by Shopify merchants over the last 5 years:

2020 - $5.1B
2021 - $6.3B
2022 - $7.5B
2023 - $9.3B
2024 - $11.5B

Turn your Shopify smarts into cash: Get paid to share your insights

DTC Brands: How are you thinking about owned marketing channels beyond email and SMS?

“We're talking to brands crushing it on email & SMS to understand how you're thinking about customer engagement for 2025. Want to hear your honest take on mobile channels, what you'd need to see to consider adding push notifications to your mix, and how you evaluate new ways to drive repeat purchases.”

💵 Incentive is $100 for a 45-min interview

Shopify optimization tip

Shopify now makes it easier to target customers by location with the new "customer_within_distance" segment filter. This feature allows you to include customers based on their address being within a set distance (in miles or kilometers) from specific coordinates.

This opens up tons of possibilities for personalized marketing! You can use it for email campaigns, automations, or even create hyper-localized content in your store's theme by tagging customers through automations.

Here are some use cases:

• Stores can target customers within a specific delivery radius, reducing delivery costs or free shipping.

• Stores can offer same day delivery for locals.

• Stores can target customers within a specific delivery radius, reducing delivery costs.

• Restaurants and cafes can highlight limited-time offers or new menu items to nearby diners.

• Beauty salons or spas can promote special packages or discounts to residents within a short distance.

• A furniture and decor stores can reach homeowners in their area.

• Farmers' markets can encourage local visitors to stop by with personalized reminders.

This feature provides far more precise targeting than relying on zip codes or cities, making your campaigns and offers more relevant and effective.

Give it a try! Our friendly experts are here to lend a hand with all your development and design needs.

Photo of the week

For 2025, the Pantone Color Institute has brewed up PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse—a rich, cozy brown that’s basically chocolate and coffee in color form. It’s like a warm hug for your eyes and a nod to our collective craving for comfort. Looks like the trend for next year is stylishly caffeinated!

That's it for today!

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