Shopify Announces QR Code Integration with Shopcodes App

Shopify wants you to find and buy products from their stores without hassle, and a new announcement and app will help you do just that.

Shopify is launching Shopcodes, a free new app available in the Shopify app store. It allows the company’s 500,000 plus stores around the world to create unique scannable QR codes that will bridge the true omnichannel shopping experience. The announcement comes in conjunction with Apple’s keynote conference today.

The new app leverages the launch of iOS11’s camera update, which will grant iPhone users the ability to natively scan QR codes without a third-party service needed.

“Mobile shopping and camera-first experiences are now standard ways people use their phones,” wrote Shopify in a release. “Shopcodes will utilize the native QR code scanning ability for iPhone cameras to reduce the friction to purchase products anytime anywhere.”

Shopcodes will only be created within Shopify stores and will be used exclusively for shopping. A great aspect of this exclusivity is that merchants can track where traffic and sales are coming from in their Shopify Reports dashboard. Codes can lead users directly to the product or even check out right away, so you can skip the whole process of adding to a cart and wasting extra clicks. This works great for products you purchase regularly and can even integrate with Apple Pay or Shopify Pay.

You can also incorporate Shopcodes into your product packaging so potential buyers can learn everything they need from one snap of the camera. Discounts can also be added, say for a special event you are hosting.

“Displaying a Shopcode on the windows of your retail store lets you sell even when your doors are closed to customers by directing them to your Shopify store instead,” writes Shopify.  “Running an event or pop-up where inventory space is limited? Get customers to scan and purchase through a Shopcode instead to have their order delivered to their door. With Shopcodes, you can encourage mobile shopping anywhere offline without having to keep your inventory on hand.”

The release of Shopcodes coincides nicely with upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that dominate the North American retail landscape. Maybe now you can just scan a QR code and get that awesome deal on a TV instead of lining up for seven hours outside in the cold.

Shopify has over one million active users in 175 countries and there is over $34 billion in gross merchandise volume sold each year. In terms of how quickly Shopcodes may catch on, there are 5.2 million apps installed from the Shopify app store thus far, and over 80 per cent of businesses on the platform use a third party app on their own shop.