Introducing Sidekick: Shopify’s New Chatbot for Store Management

Shopify, a leading e-commerce platform, has unveiled a groundbreaking AI chatbot called Sidekick. Designed to assist merchants in effectively managing their online stores and analyzing their financial performance, Sidekick is set to revolutionize the way entrepreneurs operate their businesses.

CEO Tobias Lütke introduced Sidekick in a short video shared on Twitter. He explained that this innovative AI feature will provide sellers with a natural language tool to make changes to their websites and track store performance. Similar to AI co-pilots integrated into enterprise software applications by companies like Microsoft, Sidekick aims to simplify the user experience for Shopify merchants.

Lütke emphasized that Sidekick will cater to the specific needs of each individual business owner. “Every entrepreneur has tons of questions,” he stated. “Sidekick will have answers that are specific to your business.”

In a demonstration video, the owner of a snowboarding store asked why sales had dropped off since March. Sidekick promptly responded, stating that the decrease in sales was likely due to minimal snowfall. It explained that the summer months often lead to a natural decline in sales in many regions.

Impressively, Sidekick not only provides informative responses but also offers practical solutions. When the store owner typed, “Put everything on sale,” the software suggested a tool to set up a sitewide discount. Additionally, Sidekick allowed the owner to easily swap out snowboards for surfboards on the site’s homepage.

Lütke reassured users that Sidekick is a reliable partner that respects their vision. However, he also emphasized that the chatbot is capable of assisting with significant changes if needed.

Although Shopify has not specified an exact release date for Sidekick, JMP analyst Andrew Boone expressed optimism about its potential impact. Boone believes that the advanced analytics and user-friendly website building capabilities of Sidekick could further lower barriers to entry for entrepreneurs, leading to an increase in online businesses.

In response to the news, Shopify shares saw a 2.1% increase in recent Wednesday trading, reaching $64.46.