Xero unveils new app store for small businesses

Xero has unveiled its own app store designed to make it easier for small businesses to access software, such as accounting tools and CRM platforms.

Available at apps.xero.com, the Xero App Store lets customers find, trial, and buy apps, while also supporting the growth of its app partners.

This includes ​​workforce management platform Planday, which Xero acquired in March for €183.5 million (£158.5 million) in its biggest deal to date, as well as payment platforms such as PayPal and UK-based decacorn Wise.

Customers will be able to choose between over 1,000 apps based on their industry and functions, which range from accounting and CRM to inventory management and time tracking.

Xero's Executive General Manager of Ecosystem, Nick Houldsworth, said that the company had “been building towards the Xero App Store launch over the past 18 months and are excited to see the impact of this enhanced experience for our customers and partners”.

"The Xero App Store now provides strong foundations for encouraging greater digital transformation, while democratising access to technology for small businesses. As Xero scales globally, this is reflected in the calibre of services offered by our partners in the Xero App Store,” he added.

The cloud-based accounting software firm also announced that, starting today, app partners based in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand will have access to new subscription and billing capabilities allowing Xero customers to pay and manage their apps in one place. It will also benefit early-stage developers by simplifying the development process. The function will be rolled out in the US and Canada in the next 12 months, followed by Asia and South Africa, the company added.

Commenting on the launch, Xero chief executive Steve Vamos said that the company’s “vision for the Xero App Store is to be the place where small businesses go to discover and buy apps that complement Xero, and the place to help developers grow their business”.

“Today’s milestone is exciting because better connecting Xero’s platform to external apps — whether it’s to manage inventory, receipts or their customer relationships — is a powerful enabler for small businesses looking to grow, manage their workflows or digitally transform their business. With these improvements, we can better connect small businesses and developers to each other, in smarter and more seamless ways,” he added.