Theory is one thing – examples are another. To show what the Catalog API and Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) actually make possible, Shopify has built five demo apps. Each of them represents an entirely new category of commerce experience that was not possible a year ago.
1. Showroom 📺 – Shop what you see on TV
Showroom solves a universal feeling: you see a jacket in a TV series and wonder where you can buy it. The app uses AI and standardized product data from Shopify Catalog to match visual elements from TV series with products from Shopify merchants. What previously required manual research now takes one click.
2. All Set ✈️ – Your intelligent packing assistant
All Set is a travel packing assistant that generates destination-specific shopping lists. It combines AI contextual reasoning with real-time product verification via the Catalog API to recommend relevant products. Think of it as a personal shopper who knows both the climate in Rome and what is currently in stock.
3. Starred ♏ – Horoscopes meet shopping
Starred is proof that the Catalog API opens up creativity that no one has thought of yet. The app pairs daily horoscope readings with curated product recommendations – real products from real Shopify merchants that complement astrological themes. Silly? Maybe. But it demonstrates that any context can now become a shopping experience.
4. Sourced 🛍️ – Find products from images
Upload an image, get matching product suggestions arranged visually. Sourced demonstrates Catalog's ability to match similar products based on visual characteristics – a feature that will change the way people discover products.
5. Pippin 🎲 – Voice-activated board game guide
Pippin answers questions about board games via voice and suggests games based on preferences and player count. It is not just a search engine – it is a conversation with an expert who knows what is in stock and delivers the product to the checkout.
What these apps tell us
These five apps are not about selling more of the same in traditional ways. They are about something fundamentally new: any experience – TV, travel, astrology, photographs, games – can now become a natural doorway to commerce. That is the future the Catalog API and UCP make possible.
