Store Locator 2.0: Everything That's Changing

SC Store Locator 2.0 is a major update to the admin experience, built to make managing multiple locations faster and easier. With native bulk actions, reusable working-hours templates, and drag-and-drop builders, merchants can make changes across their store network without editing locations one at a time.

If you manage a handful of locations, these changes may simply make everyday tasks easier. If you manage hundreds of stores, franchise locations, dealers, or distributors, Store Locator 2.0 can save significant time when making the same change across your network.

Why we rebuilt the app

The previous version of Store Locator handled location mapping and everyday store management well. As merchants grew, however, managing hundreds of locations individually became increasingly time-consuming.

Updating hours, tags, custom fields, or other location information one store at a time can be manageable for a small network, but becomes difficult as the number of locations grows.

Store Locator 2.0 addresses this by moving repetitive, multi-location tasks into native bulk tools and giving merchants more control over how their locator looks and works.

What's new in Store Locator 2.0

Search Tags with bulk assignment

Search Tags make it easier to organize locations using filterable attributes such as "Parking," "Wheelchair Accessible," or "Grooming Available."

Instead of adding tags to each location individually, merchants can create a tag and assign it to multiple locations at once using a searchable location picker.

Tags can also be enabled or disabled without removing their existing assignments.

In practice: A pet-supply chain wants to highlight its 40 locations that offer grooming services. Instead of opening 40 location records individually, the merchant can create a "Grooming Available" tag, select the relevant locations, and apply the tag in one action.

Shoppers can then use the locator's filters to find locations offering grooming services.

Location Groups with bulk assignment and a map legend

Location Groups help merchants organize stores into categories, such as company-owned locations, authorized dealers, or franchise locations.

With Store Locator 2.0, merchants can assign multiple locations to a group at once instead of updating each location individually.

Each group can still have its own pin color. Merchants can now also enable a map legend so shoppers can understand what each color represents.

In practice: A distributor has both company-owned stores and authorized dealer locations. They can create two groups, assign their locations in bulk, and enable the map legend so shoppers can easily distinguish between the two on the map.

Custom Fields with bulk actions

Custom Fields allow merchants to add location-specific information such as a manager's email address, a local license number, or promotional information.

Store Locator 2.0 adds bulk assignment, bulk enable/disable, and bulk delete options for custom fields.

This means merchants can make the same custom field change across multiple locations without opening each location individually. Bulk deletion also includes a confirmation step before the fields are removed.

In practice: A regional auto-parts chain runs a "20% off wiper blades" promotion across 150 stores every October.

Instead of adding the promotion to 150 individual location records, the merchant can assign the same custom field value to all selected locations at once. When the promotion ends, the field can be disabled in bulk.

Working Hours Templates

Managing store hours becomes more difficult as a business grows, especially when multiple locations follow the same schedule.

Working Hours Templates let merchants create named, reusable schedules using a structured time picker and assign them to multiple locations at once.

For example, a merchant can create templates such as:

• Standard Business Hours

• Mall Extended Hours

• Holiday Hours

Templates and the existing free-text working-hours field are mutually exclusive at the shop level. Merchants can switch between the template system and the legacy free-text field using a dedicated setting.

In practice: A franchise network has standard hours for most locations, while 30 mall-based stores have extended holiday hours.

The merchant can create two templates, assign each to the appropriate locations, and update the mall schedule from one place when the hours change.

Accurate store hours are particularly important for local businesses. SOCi's 2024 Consumer Behavior Index found that 47% of shoppers who arrive at a business listed as open only to find it closed will look for a similar business nearby.

Incorrect hours can therefore mean more than a poor customer experience. They can send potential customers to a competitor.

Drag-and-drop map card and location list builders

Store Locator 2.0 also gives merchants more control over the way location information appears on the storefront.

The Adjust Map Cards and Modify Map Location Lists builders let merchants reorder fields, action buttons, and text blocks using drag-and-drop controls.

A live preview shows the changes as they are made, so merchants can see how the layout will look before publishing it.

In practice: A store UX lead wants the "Call Store" button to appear above "Get Directions" on mobile.

Instead of editing layout configuration manually and checking the result after publishing, they can move the button directly in the builder and use the live preview to review the change.

No Liquid or manual theme changes are required just to reorder the information displayed in the locator.

What these changes mean for merchants

Store Locator 2.0 is designed around a simple idea: the more locations you manage, the more valuable bulk management becomes.

Instead of repeating the same task across dozens or hundreds of locations, merchants can now handle many common changes in a single action.

That means less time spent on repetitive administration and more control over how the store locator appears to shoppers.

What's coming next

Store Locator 2.0 is part of a longer product roadmap. The features below are planned improvements and are not yet available as part of the current 2.0 release.

Sidekick integration

The planned Sidekick integration will allow merchants to make Store Locator changes by telling Shopify's Sidekick assistant what they want to update.

The goal is to make common store-locator tasks easier to complete without having to navigate through multiple settings.

Dynamic translations

Dynamic translations are planned to make multilingual store locators easier to manage.

Merchants will still provide their translated content, but once a shopper switches the storefront language, the Store Locator section will automatically display the appropriate language without requiring separate setup for each page or location.

OpenStreetMap integration

An OpenStreetMap option is also planned as an alternative mapping option for Store Locator.

The goal is to give merchants more flexibility in how their store locator's maps are powered and reduce reliance on a single external map provider.

Deeper brand and appearance customization

The current drag-and-drop builders focus on the layout of map cards and location lists. Future updates will take customization further.

Planned appearance controls will give merchants more options for adjusting the locator's colors, styling, and overall look without needing to write custom CSS or HTML.

Rearranging information is only one part of customization. The goal is to give merchants more control over the complete storefront experience.

Want to share feedback or learn more about what's planned? Book time with the Store Locator Product Manager.

Who is Store Locator 2.0 for?

Franchise and multi-location operators
Manage seasonal hours, contact information, tags, and promotional fields across a large network without updating every location individually.

Growing DTC brands
Help shoppers find locations based on useful store attributes such as curbside pickup, parking, pet-friendly services, or other location-specific features.

Store UX and design teams
Take control of map cards and location lists with drag-and-drop builders instead of editing Liquid or waiting for a theme update to see layout changes.

The shift, in one line

The previous version of Store Locator worked well for managing individual locations. Version 2.0 is built to make managing many locations easier, turning repetitive tasks across hundreds of stores into a single bulk action.

Ready to simplify store management?

Store Locator 2.0 gives merchants more control over their locations, working hours, tags, custom fields, and storefront layout.

If you're managing a growing store network, explore what's new and see how Store Locator 2.0 can make everyday location management easier.

Further reading

• SOCi's 2024 Consumer Behavior Index - The research behind the 47% statistic on incorrect business hours.

• Eleken: Bulk Actions UX, Best Practices with Real UI Examples - An overview of common bulk-action design patterns.

• Nielsen Norman Group: Bulk Actions, 3 Design Guidelines - Design guidance for building effective bulk actions.