Inside Shopify Summer Editions 2025: 6 Key Updates Plus Merchants Need to Know Now

Ecommerce isn’t standing still and neither is Shopify.

With the release of Shopify Editions Summer ’25, we’re not just seeing incremental upgrades; we’re witnessing a fundamental shift in how brands can build, scale, and optimise digital commerce. From AI-native shopping agents and global expansion tools to a next-gen design system with Horizon, Shopify is redefining what’s possible for modern merchants.

AI is now a front-line shopping assistant. With the rise of AI agents like ChatGPT, Google’s SGE, and Shopify’s own intelligent search experiences, your brand is being represented in conversations you don’t directly control. The question is, does the AI know how to speak your language? 

That’s what Shopify’s new Knowledge Base is designed to solve. It lets you view how often your store’s info is requested by AI agencies and customise FAQs to ensure AI represents your brand accurately. 

Here’s what’s new: 

• Shopify-generated FAQs: Automatically created based on your store’s policies, shipping settings, and product data – these are now the foundation for how AI agents respond to customer queries about your brand. 
• Buyer Inquiry Monitoring: See which questions AI agents are fielding most about your store. From return policies to product specs, you’ll know exactly what customers are asking. 
• Custom FAQs: Go beyond the defaults. You can now write, edit, and prioritize your own brand-voice responses, ensuring AI presents high-converting answers that reflect what makes your store stand out. 

With AI shopping assistants becoming more mainstream, stores that don’t optimise their FAQ data will be left behind in AI-powered search results and shopping conversations. 

Launched in Summer’24 and a year later, Sidekick has levelled up to solve more complex problems when you ask questions. It connects more data and dives deeper to uncover insights for you to optimise your store.

Here are some new capabilities:

• Now supports 20 languages
• Instantly generates slick images for free
• Voice chat and screen share: literally talks through roadblocks in real time
• New reasoning upgrades connect all your store’s data dots and figure out root causes.

“Apple Pay has been available for years” – yes, you’re not wrong. However, this Editions release comes with an additional Apple Pay placement directly in the checkout payment options, significant for mobile conversion optimisation.  

While previously the express checkout options would skip discount code entry, allowing checkout functions to run and skipping straight past your final upsell opportunity, customers can now experience the full checkout journey and still convert.

Here’s what else is new: 

• Flat Rate Shipping: Charge customers a single flat rate when fulfilling from multiple locations to reduce unexpected shipping costs
• Enhanced Fraud Protection: Reduce chargebacks with AI-powered fraud models on Shopify payments that automatically authenticate risky transactions
• Carbon Neutral Shipping Options: Empower your customers to be more environmentally friendly with a carbon-neutral option in checkout. Exclusive to Plus.

For those selling internationally, the expanded payment locations, multi-entity selling, and duty transparency features could open new markets and reduce checkout friction. 

Shopify Payments has now expanded to more countries including Mexico and 15 new markets in Europe.

Sell from multiple business entities to a single store: 

• One admin to rule them all – manage multiple business entities (online and in-person) 
• Unified operations across different legal structures and regions
• Consolidated reporting that finance teams will actually love

Manage multi-currency payouts: 

• Less FX fees and financial juggling between accounts
• European merchants now have more local payment methods
• Simplified supplier payments allows you to accept 130+ currencies and settle in up to eight. 

Shopify adds more functionality and features for B2B merchants. 

Create multiple B2B markets, each with their own unique catalogues, currency, and storefront theme customisations, then preview the buyer experience using the “View as” feature in the products section.

Additional updates for B2B merchants include: 

• VAT Validation: Reduce compliance risk for EU and UK companies by validating VAT number in the admin and automatically applying tax exemptions with Shopify Tax

• NetSuite ERP connector: Improve your efficiency and data accuracy by syncing companies, orders, PO numbers, and payment terms with an updated NetSuite ERP connector

Min and Max order limits: Set minimum and maximum order value requirements for all customers, or only B2B customers, with Checkout Blocks.

Horizon is reimagining the foundation for modern commerce. Built for performance, powered by AI, and engineered for speed, Horizon gives brands complete creative control with very limited developer involvement. 

Whether you’re launching a new store, spinning up a campaign landing page, or localising a multi-market layout, Horizon is the new standard for flexibility at scale.

What makes Horizon so different?: 

• 10 high-performance presets to kickstart your build with conversion in mind
• 30+ modular content blocks – from image galleries to shoppable video, just plug and play
• AI block generator – with a description of what you need, Shopify AI can build it instantly
• Power-user editing tools – hover-to-preview, drag-and-drop layout editing, block copy/paste, and conditional visibility logic – all native to the theme editor. 

The 10 new themes combined with AI-powered content generation could significantly reduce development time and costs for new builds. The improved customise editor with conditional settings and better organisation will make ongoing maintenance more efficient.

Shopify Editions 2025 is more than just an update, it’s a comprehensive toolkit designed to address real challenges faced by merchants. By focusing on key features like Knowledge Base App, enhanced checkout features, and Sidekick improvements, retailers can enhance their operations and improve customer satisfaction. These updates not only streamline processes but also pave the way for a more dynamic and responsive ecommerce strategy, ensuring that Shopify remains at the forefront of the industry.

Now it’s difficult to fit 150+ updates into a blog that is nice and digestible for you to read. However, we have covered the key features you must know but here are some more: 

• Unified Discount Codes: Create a single code that works across products, orders, and shipping is a major improvement for marketing campaigns. This simplifies customer experience and reduces cart abandonment from discount confusion.

• POS Improvements: For omnichannel merchants – custom branding, ship-and-carry orders, and store credit integration create a more cohesive brand experience. 
• Operational Efficiency: The shipping and fulfillment improvements (pick lists, barcode scanning, split fulfillment) could significantly streamline operations. 

Have any questions regarding Summer Editions or looking to move over to Shopify? 

Get in touch.