4. Expanded Feature Catalog (What Merchants Are Asking For)
The features below are each classified with the same honesty as your own list. Demand signals come from App Store listings, review counts and competitor feature pages (research/10, R4). Being in demand doesn't mean you should build it. Most of these demands are already met, often for free.
4.1 Which single wedge to lead with
The brief asked the research to choose one wedge. Here are the six candidates, scored:
| # | Wedge | Deadline status (30 Sept 2026) | Crowding | Job recurs? | Price norm | Build size for ~15 hrs/week | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generic GPSR storefront block | Applied since 13 Dec 2024; the wave has passed | 15+ apps; leader has 29 reviews | No (one-time) | Free–$15 | Small | No. A commodity with thin demand. |
| 2 | GPSR catalogue compliance for multi-brand retailers (supplier portal, gap scan, vendor rules, marketplace export) | Ongoing: every new SKU, every marketplace listing | 1–2 apps attempt parts of it (Alnage, Suite Pro), none with reviews | Yes (weekly) | $25–80 top tiers exist | Medium | Lead with this. |
| 3 | EU withdrawal button | Applied 19 June 2026; the wave has passed | EW 2,311, Revoq 561, 20+ apps | Low | Free–$25 | Small | No. Taken. |
| 4 | EU guarantee notice / GARAN | 2026 (date unverified); the wave is happening now | 8+ apps within weeks | No | Free | Small | Module only. Too late to lead. |
| 5 | Prop 65 / regulatory warnings | Ongoing; rules unverified | 1 app, 18 reviews | Low | Free | Small | Free module only. A small US market plus liability. |
| 6 | B2B, wholesale, customs and e-invoicing documents | National e-invoicing mandates (dates unverified) | Sufio 466 reviews, BFS, 13 years old | Yes (every order) | $7–129 | Large (access-point partner, tax rules) | Year 2 option. Best ceiling, worst start. |
Why wedge 2 wins:
- It is the only candidate that is both uncrowded at the level that matters (no competitor with a review base) and recurring.
- Marketplaces must refuse listings without GPSR data, which adds a pull that doesn't depend on Shopify at all.
- It's small enough to ship in 6–8 weeks at ~15 hrs/week.
Why it's still weak:
- The segment's size is unverified.
- Alnage (Aug 2026) is already aiming at the marketplace-export half of it.
4.2 Demanded features, classified
Legend: TS = Table stakes, D = Differentiator, X = Distraction, L = Liability. Priority: P0 = v1 of the recommended wedge, P1 = next, P2 = later, — = don't build.
A. GPSR data and catalogue (your core, so lean in)
| Feature | Demand signal | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storefront GPSR block (manufacturer, responsible person, identifier, warnings) via theme app extension | Every GPSR app has one | TS | P0 | Needed for Built for Shopify. Keep it light: it must not cost more than 10 Lighthouse points. |
| Manufacturer / responsible person / importer profiles stored as metaobjects | Every GPSR app | TS | P0 | Store data in native metafields and metaobjects, so the data survives even if the merchant leaves. That's honest, and it builds trust. |
| Catalogue gap scan ("412 of 1,930 products are missing a responsible person") | Several apps show a dashboard | TS → D | P0 | Make it the free plan. It's the hook and the install reason. A daily re-scan on new SKUs is the differentiator. |
| Vendor rules (auto-assign the brand profile by the Shopify vendor field, tag or collection) | Suite Pro, GPSR Kit (bulk profiles) | D | P0 | This is what saves a 40-brand store hours. |
| Supplier request portal (email a brand a link; they fill in manufacturer, RP, warnings and documents; answers land in metafields after merchant approval) | Seen only in the EUDR/DPP app | D | P0 | The core differentiator. It turns "chase 40 brands by email" into a tracked queue with reminders. |
| Warnings library (common warning texts by product type, merchant-editable) | Most apps | TS | P0 | Supply text as templates. The merchant confirms each one. |
| Bulk CSV import and export | All serious apps | TS | P0 | Also powers the concierge pilot. |
| Compliance evidence PDF (what was shown, when, for which SKUs) | GPSR Shield (hashed DoC PDFs), Suite Pro (audit log) | D | P1 | Useful when a regulator or a competitor's lawyer asks. |
| Marketplace-ready exports (Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Kaufland templates) | Alnage (10 marketplaces) | D | P1 | Check each marketplace's bulk format first (10, 10.2). |
| Document vault (declarations of conformity, manuals, safety sheets per brand) | Alnage (10-year vault) | D | P1 | Records have to be kept for years. Use cheap object storage. |
| EU Safety Gate recall matching | Alnage | D | P2 | Weekly match of your catalogue against published recalls. A real "weekly value" feature. |
| Accident and incident log | Alnage | TS | P2 | Simple log. Don't file with regulators on the merchant's behalf. |
| Storefront label translations (fixed labels in 24 EU languages) | Most apps | TS | P0 | Translate the fixed labels once. Merchant text goes through their own translation tool. |
| AI drafting of warnings | Safix | L | — | Only as "suggest, then a human confirms", and not in v1. |
| Acting as the EU responsible person | Asked by non-EU sellers | L | — | That's a regulated role with legal duties. Refer to RP service partners. |
B. Other EU storefront rules (the bundle, from month 7)
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU guarantee notice and GARAN label | TS | P1 | 8+ free apps. Add it as a module so bundle buyers don't need a second app. |
| Omnibus lowest-30-day price display | TS | P2 | Complimus, Omnibus Owl and Omnibus Insight do it. Add only if customers ask. |
| Withdrawal button | X | — | EW and Revoq own it, and it's free. |
| Compliance deadline calendar and alerts ("GARAN applies in 60 days; 3 settings to change") | D | P1 | Cheap to build. It gives a reason to open the app and positions you ahead of the next wave. |
| Accessibility widget | X / L | — | Crowded, and overlays attract criticism. |
C. Warnings and age rules
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prop 65 warning block (by product, shown only to California visitors) | TS | P2 | Free module. Verify the OEHHA rules first. |
| Allergen and other ingredient warnings | TS | P2 | Only if food-adjacent merchants appear in the base. |
| Age gate / 18+ checks | X | — | Solved by free apps. |
D. Documents (year 2 at the earliest)
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B invoices, credit notes, quotes | X for now | — | Sufio. |
| E-invoicing (PEPPOL, ZUGFeRD, Factur-X) | D / L | — (year 2 option) | Needs a certified access-point partner, and verified mandate dates. |
| Commercial invoices, CN22/CN23 | X / L | — | Shipping tools do it, and errors carry customs penalties. |
E. Workflow, trust and admin
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded admin, Polaris UI, App Bridge, Shopify sign-in | TS | P0 | Built for Shopify requirement. Non-negotiable. |
| Onboarding that ends with "your catalogue is X% complete" | TS | P0 | Onboarding is where Shopify apps win or lose (Mat De Sousa). |
| Weekly email: new SKUs missing data, suppliers who haven't replied | D | P0 | The retention engine. It gives a reason to keep paying. |
| Multi-store (EU + UK stores, expansion stores) | D | P1 | The top-tier upsell. |
| Shopify Flow triggers ("product created without GPSR data") | D | P1 | Cheap to add, and it lifts the Pro tier. |
| Agency and RP-partner dashboard (manage many client stores) | D | P2 | The partner channel (07). |
| Public API | TS (top tier) | P2 | Only for large catalogues. |
4.3 Net effect
Of roughly 40 features merchants ask for across these wedges:
- about 8 are real differentiators for the multi-brand wedge;
- about 10 belong in v1, and half of those are table stakes needed just to be listed next to the clones;
- everything else is either free elsewhere, another company's business (Sufio, EW, Revoq), or a liability (AI warnings, acting as RP, customs data).