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You can shop many stores entirely in Facebook Messenger
You've had the option of chatting with stores in Facebook Messenger for a while. Wouldn't it be nice if you could complete the entire sale without leaving chat? Shopify thinks it can help on that front: it's trotting out a feature that lets you browse and buy from stores using its platform while remaining strictly in Messenger. You don't have to visit a website just to pick an item or check out. You'll likely have to start the conversation from a company's Facebook page, but it's entirely possible that you could stick to chat from then onward.
Postmates' couriers help small shops with same-day deliveries
Small businesses use Shopify's software to create custom online storefronts, and Shopify regularly adds features making it easier to juggle digital and physical sales. Now those customers can get a same-day delivery option through Postmates so long as they're within the 40 metropolitan areas it delivers in. That includes 21,000 small businesses that use Shopify.
Uber's latest service delivers just about anything in minutes
Those rumors of Uber launching a general-purpose delivery service, rather than the niche options it had before? They're true. Meet UberRush, an option that lets you order most anything from local shops and get it in a matter of minutes. Theoretically, this eliminates the need to run out whenever you need something -- you just ask a courier to do it for you. Stores have to sign up for this to work (and use a common online shopping platform like ChowNow or Shopify), but there are already "hundreds" of them ready to go. The main catch? Right now, UberRush is only available in Chicago, New York City and San Francisco. You may have to wait longer before these rapid-fire deliveries are available in other cities and countries.
Buy items right from their Facebook pages with the new Shop section
Facebook is on its way to becoming a one-stop shop for all of your social networking, selfie, news, disliking and retail therapy needs. Select merchants will now feature a Shop section on their Facebook pages, allowing customers to purchase items without leaving the site. The new section is made in collaboration with digital commerce company Shopify, and at first the Shop addition will be available only to Shopify retailers (at no additional charge). It's designed with mobile devices in mind, since that's where most of Facebook's users are, Shopify says.
Daily Update for August 29, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Shopify announces iPad-centric POS system
Shopify has been around a while as an online storefront provider; one of the best stores for buying items that have made it out of Kickstarter and into production -- BiteMyApple.co -- is a good example of an online Shopify store. Now Shopify is making it possible for store owners to open physical storefronts to sell their wares with an iPad-based point-of-sale system called Shopify POS. A complete "store in a box" that includes a card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, and mount for an iPad supplied by the store owner runs US$499. Should you not need the cash drawer, the price goes down to $399, and if you run a pop-up store (say, selling art at festivals or food products at a farmer's market), a system is available for just $149. If all you need is a card reader, which can be had for $19. There's also a $49 monthly fee, and a swipe rate of 2.1 to 2.5 percent depending on the Shopify plan used. The free Shopify POS iPad app is the key to the store, listing all of the products in a store and then providing a way for customers to pay for the goods. Receipts are either printed on-site or sent through email. The app gives store owners the ability to sell both online and in physical stores, managing inventory for both and providing the analytics to show what products are flying out the doors and which are collecting dust. Shopify POS is available today. [via MacRumors]
Shopify's integrated retail platform merges online and in-store sales (video)
Mobile payment options like Square have been a boon to small business owners, and now Shopify is looking to expand the potential of point of sale systems with its new platform. The company is branching out from its online retail roots by offering a way to merge in-store and internet sales with a combined inventory system. Shop owners can choose which items they want to sell online or in their brick and mortar stores, while the POS app synchronizes the process. Additionally, Shopify comes with an iPad-compatible credit card reader, email receipts and detailed analytics. If you're in the market for an integrated retail system, the expanded hardware kit might be worth checking out; it includes a cash drawer, iPad stand and receipt printer. For more information, check out the video after the break.
Ask Engadget: best online storefront for a small business?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Cesar, who wants to become the next eBoy. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I design and make customized t-shirts in my town, and over the last two years they've become pretty popular. I've had to expand to keep up with all the demand, so now I'm looking at taking my business online, but I don't know anything about building my own e-store. What's the best way for a newbie to start their own e-store? I've been looking at services like Wix, but can you think of anything better? Thanks in advance!"We're always looking to ask questions that are a little bit different than "help me pick an Android tablet" and this one's a real doozy. In a former life we once had to help build a site that used POWA, which we were quite taken with, but that's as far as our knowledge goes. Perhaps one of you knows of a truly excellent e-commerce platform for small businesses and can point Cesar in the right direction. Go on, let's be good to one another.
