Shopify‘s latest platform update introduces powerful AI tools, unprecedented design flexibility, and expanded global capabilities to empower e-commerce merchants of all sizes. The Summer ’25 Edition represents one of the platform’s most comprehensive updates, addressing key pain points for online sellers while positioning Shopify to compete more effectively in an increasingly AI-driven commerce landscape. The 150+ new features focus on reducing technical barriers, enhancing the shopping experience, and simplifying global operations.
The big picture: Shopify’s Summer ’25 Edition delivers over 150 new tools and enhancements designed to help merchants build and grow their businesses with greater ease, flexibility, and customization options.
Key features: The Horizon theme foundation sits at the center of the update, providing merchants with sophisticated design capabilities without requiring coding skills.
- The system includes 10 ready-to-use presets, drag-and-drop Theme Blocks, and AI-generated content blocks for creating visually compelling storefronts.
- An integrated AI Store Builder can generate complete designs based on simple brand descriptions, dramatically reducing development time and costs.
What they’re saying: Merchants and company leadership highlight the platform’s ability to remove technical barriers and reduce startup costs.
- “If I had Horizon available at the time I could have launched my [store] without the need for external support and saved £5000–7000,” said Ben Attwood, founder of Clubhouse Skin.
- Shopify’s VP of Product Vanessa Lee emphasized that “Merchants can now translate a vision they have for their online store into something real much faster and without needing to code.”
Retail enhancements: The upgraded Shopify POS system introduces significant improvements to speed, user experience, and brand customization for physical retailers.
- The redesigned interface features smarter navigation, a new “Ship and carry out” feature, and Tap to Pay capabilities that transform phones into payment terminals.
- Tecovas retail tech manager Preston Arroyo praised the new Lock Screen capabilities for creating “a smoother experience” as the company plans to deploy the system across 14 stores this year.
Customer experience upgrades: Shopify’s Shop app has been revamped to deliver more dynamic and personalized shopping experiences.
- The new feed incorporates real-time recommendations, allows users to create and share collections, and displays visual product swatches to streamline variant selection.
Global commerce capabilities: New features simplify international operations for merchants selling across multiple markets and jurisdictions.
- Sellers can now manage multiple business entities from a single admin, consolidating reporting and operations across legal structures and regions.
- Shopify Payments has expanded to Mexico and 15 new European markets, with support for multi-currency payouts in over 130 currencies and improved local payment options.
AI integration: Shopify is giving merchants greater control over their presence in AI-driven shopping environments while enhancing its own AI assistant capabilities.
- The new Knowledge Base app allows sellers to customize how AI assistants present their products and brand messaging during buyer interactions.
- Sidekick, Shopify’s AI assistant, now supports voice chat, screen sharing, and multilingual interactions in 20 languages, with a new reasoning engine that connects store data to deliver real-time answers and insights.
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