Home » Blog » What Is Shopify Arrive – And Should Store Owners Opt-In?

On April 19, Shopify announced to store owners the release of its new app, Arrive.

Unlike Kit or Oberlo, Arrive is a consumer-centric iOS app – it’s the first of its kind made by Shopify that doesn’t directly impact store owners.

You may be wondering:

• What Shopify Arrive is
• How does Arrive work
• Should Shopify Store owners use arrive
• Arrive’s Privacy Policy

We did a little digging here at SMART Apps, and are impressed with what we’ve found.

What is Shopify Arrive?

Arrive allows online shoppers to easily track all of their orders, live, within a single dashboard.

The app even tracks orders from stores hosted on other platforms. Which means users can track orders from competitors such as Amazon, eBay, and stores hosted on Bigcommerce.

According to the apps head developer, Robleh Jama, “We automate the process with a live map view and rich notifications, making Arrive a useful tracking app that you’ll love to use but don’t have to open up every time.”

In addition to tracking updates, the app also holds order histories with retailers contact information for easy communication and returns.

As you may have guessed, the apps primary goal is providing convenience and ease for online shoppers, and its sleek design and ease of use align perfectly with our “Less is More” mantra.

How Does Arrive Work?

Shopify Arrive syncs with consumers Gmail accounts and crawls through the inbox, searching for keywords such as “order confirmation,” “tracking,” and “tracking updates.” Once the app detects these keywords, it pulls the following information into the dashboard:

• Tracking Numbers
• Carrier Name & Contact Info
• Supplier Name & Contact info
• Order Numbers
• Product Details
  • Name
  • Price
  • Product Image
• Reference Emails

The app then begins providing real-time updates straight from the Order Status Page. This way, customers stay up to date with their order, every step of the way.

Shoppers without Gmail accounts can still use Arrive; however, they will have to enter each orders tracking number manually. Arrive expects to support more email providers soon.

While the app was in beta, testers responded to the functionality of the app with radiating reviews:

• “I’ve been beta testing Arrive for some time now and can vouch that it has improved my online shopping experience. No longer do I need to go back into my emails or Amazon to figure out what’s going on with the order. All my orders are in one place for me to keep track easily.”
• “Arrive is by far the fastest to update on shipment tracking. I use a few apps at once to track my packages, and Arrive is the fastest by far.”
• “One app to keep track of all my orders; helpful notifications on updates — especially when there are issues; easy to set up and start using.”

Should Store Owners Use Arrive?

Aside from wanting to download the app and use it for yourself – should you, as a Shopify store owner, enable arrive for your store?

According to the email Shopify sent to store owners last week:

“Shopify has created an iOS app, Arrive, to help your customers in North America track their orders and receive automatic updates of their delivery status. We know that your stores’ customer experience doesn’t end at checkout – that’s why Arrive will be enabled for your store at no cost April 24…”

In addition to highlighting the no extra cost, Shopify mentions that they believe the app will symbiotically work with store owners to promote a better post-purchase experience for your customers while increasing loyalty and decreasing support tickets related to tracking and order updates.

Another benefit that Shopify didn’t outline in the email above is that you won’t have to continue using 3rd party apps to update your customers on their tracking information. So you can eliminate one costly app from your arsenal.

Privacy Policy

Shopify will only collect information stored in your order status email and accounts you provide, which include:

• Order Information such as shipping and billing information
• Product Information
• Associated Reference Identification, aka the tracking number

There is no invasion of your, or your customers’, privacy.

We are still waiting to hear back from the Arrive team about other ways the app will affect store owners, but until then, if you aren’t impressed with the app or don’t wish to take advantage of its features, Shopify gives you the option to opt-out.

The app is currently available to Canadian and U.S. shoppers only, however, they plan to expand globally and digitally.

Final Thoughts…

Shopify is taking steps to establish and solidify its digital footprint. Aside from being one of the most widely known cloud-based business solutions, they truly strive to focus on optimization for entrepreneurs and online shoppers, making online businesses more profitable and accessible. Let us know your thoughts on Shopify’s new app, Arrive, in the comments below and if you are interested in learning other ways to optimize your online store for conversions, check out our article, 7 Mistakes that are Killing Your Conversions.