Shopify Summer Edition 2025 | Key Updates & What’s New for You

Shopify Summer Edition 2025 - Horizon: What’s New, What’s Next

With changing seasons come changing shopping patterns. From hoodies to beach vibes, heaters to A.C., summers and winters are textbook opposites. But for merchants, there's one constant: Shopify Editions.

Following the Shopify Winter Edition 2025 – The Boring Edition (which, ironically, was anything but boring) released on December 11, 2024, Shopify has now launched its Summer Edition 2025, titled Horizon, on May 21, 2025.

This latest release brings 150+ updates across 10 major categories. While every update adds value, a few have already stolen the spotlight: AI innovations, the Horizon theme collection, a redesigned POS system, and smarter marketing tools.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the most important updates, so you don’t have to jump across tabs and links to find what matters to you.

Top 10 Updates from Shopify Summer Editions 2025 

1. Themes & Visual editing

Nobody understands the needs of ecommerce businesses better than Shopify. They know that the look and feel of a store isn't just about aesthetics, it directly impacts conversions. That’s why, in the Summer Edition 2025, Shopify has introduced powerful visual editing updates to help merchants build stunning and high-performing storefronts.

Here’s what’s new:

Horizon Theme Collection: One System, 10 Free Themes

Shopify has launched a new theme collection called Horizon. It includes 10 free themes, tailored for different industries, giving merchants more variety and flexibility. These themes are built with Shopify’s latest features, offering greater design freedom, a smoother buyer experience, and built-in AI to make store editing easier than ever.

AI-Generated Theme Blocks

With Shopify Magic, merchants can now generate entire theme sections automatically. All you have to do is describe your brand (for example: “athleisure for women”), and Shopify will build a customized layout. It’s ideal for new businesses or seasonal refreshes that need a quick visual overhaul.

What is Shopify Magic?
Shopify Magic is a collection of AI-powered tools integrated across Shopify to help with everything from store setup and marketing to customer service and back-office management. It's built to save you time while delivering smarter, more personalized experiences.

Big UX Upgrade to Theme Editor

The theme editor just got a major overhaul to help you stay in your creative flow and make changes faster and more intuitively. Here’s a breakdown of the new features:

New Editing Capabilities:

• AI block generation directly in the editor

• One-click text editing for instant content changes

Navigation & Layout Enhancements:

• Simplified sidebar with conditional settings

• Sections collapsed by default for a cleaner workspace

• Custom names for blocks and sections

Improved Workflow Shortcuts:

• Hover-to-preview in the block picker

• Categories for blocks and sections

• Right-click shortcuts for common actions

• Copy and paste blocks and sections with ease

Better Search & Display:

• Richer predictive search

• Interactive product cards

• Discount code entry added directly in cart preview

2. Sidekick Just Got a Major Upgrade

Shopify’s AI assistant, Sidekick, has leveled up, and it’s no longer just a helpful chatbot. It’s now smarter, more intuitive, and ready to act like a true co-worker who understands your business and helps you grow it.

What’s New?

Multi-Step Reasoning

Sidekick now uses multi-step reasoning, which means it doesn't stop at surface-level answers. Instead, it looks at different factors before giving a response.

Example:

If you ask, “Why did my sales drop last month?”

Instead of just saying “Sales dropped 20%,” Sidekick digs deeper. It considers:

• Inventory status

• Marketing performance

• Website traffic

• Seasonal trends

Then, it gives you a full explanation, plus recommendations to improve the situation. No more guesswork. Just insights that matter.

Now Speaks 20+ Languages and Listens Too

Sidekick now supports over 20 languages across the Shopify admin. And it’s not just typing anymore, you can speak to Sidekick using your voice.

While screen sharing, simply describe what you want to do in your own words. No need for technical skills or code. Sidekick understands and walks you through the steps.

AI-Powered Image Generation

Running a sale or launching a product?

You can now ask Sidekick to create banner images for your store or marketing campaigns. Just say something like “Make a banner for our summer sale,” and Sidekick will generate it instantly, no design tools needed.

3. Shopify POS

   

Shopify POS has undergone a complete redesign, transforming from a basic checkout tool into a platform that enhances customer experience and elevates your brand at every touchpoint.

Major usability improvements to Shopify POS's design

Brand Customization

With the new brand theming features, you can personalize the entire in-store checkout experience:

• Add videos to idle screens

• Extend your brand colors across the checkout flow

• Customize PIN entry screens with your logo

Every interaction, from browsing to payment, is now an opportunity to showcase your brand’s identity.

Ship and carry out in one order on Shopify POS

Customers can now carry out some items and have others shipped, all in a single order, paid together at checkout.

This is perfect for in-person purchases where inventory might be split. The customer gets part of their order instantly, and the rest is delivered to their doorstep, just like an online order.

New Functionalities That Make Selling Easier

• Store Credit Made Simple

Issue, accept, and refund store credit directly from the POS. When a customer returns an item, you can apply store credit instantly, encouraging future purchases.

• Centralized Management for Global Stores

Shopify Plus now allows you to manage multiple international stores from a single admin dashboard, making global operations easier.

• SMS Marketing Opt-In at Checkout

Want to grow your marketing list? Now your staff can ask customers to opt in for SMS marketing during checkout, building stronger, more direct communication.

POS Pro Power Features

If you're using POS Pro, here's what’s new:

• Advanced Discounts on Draft Orders

Run in-store promotions like "Buy X, Get Y" without any complex setup.

• Custom Payment Options by Device or Location

Tailor payment methods based on device or store, great for multi-location retailers.

• Smart Cash Rounding

Shopify POS now automatically rounds cash totals based on your country’s currency rules, saving time and reducing errors during checkout.

• Smarter Product Search

The new POS search recognizes typos and misspellings, so your team can find products faster, even with quick typing.

• Unified Discounts

Apply a single discount that works across products, orders, and shipping in one go, speeding up checkout and minimizing friction.

4. Checkout

Shopify Summer Edition 2025 has made checkouts more smarter, faster, and flexible, built to reduce friction and boost conversions. 

From simplified shipping to smarter payment options and sustainability features, these updates are designed to create a seamless path from cart to confirmation. Let’s see what’s new:

Flat Rates for Split Shipping

You can now apply a single flat shipping rate even when an order is fulfilled from multiple locations.

• If both items come from locations in the same location group, the customer pays one shipping rate (e.g., $10 for standard or $20 for express), instead of separate fees.

• If the locations belong to different shipping profiles or location groups, Shopify calculates shipping separately for each.

This update improves cost transparency and reduces cart abandonment due to unexpected shipping fees.

Shop Pay Installments Now Available in Canada

Canadian merchants can now offer Shop Pay Installments in CAD.

To be eligible, your store must use Shopify Payments and have Shop Pay enabled.

This feature was already available in the US in USD and now helps Canadian stores increase conversion by offering Buy Now, Pay Later options.

Flexible Delivery Options for Unavailable Items

If an item is unavailable at the customer’s default shipping address, they can now select a different delivery address or a pickup location.

This makes fulfillment smoother and improves customer satisfaction.

Carbon-Neutral Shipping at Checkout

With the Planet app, you can offer carbon-neutral shipping options directly in checkout.

This feature is exclusive to Shopify Plus merchants and lets your customers reduce their environmental impact when placing an order.

Enhanced Fraud Protection

Shopify Payments now includes advanced AI-powered fraud protection.

It automatically flags and authenticates risky transactions, helping to prevent chargebacks and protect your revenue.

Coming Soon: June 12 Surprise

A major checkout-related update is launching on June 12.

Stay tuned for more details.

5. Global

Shopify’s latest international updates under Shopify Summer Edition 2025 make cross-border selling smoother than ever, with new country rollouts, smarter compliance tools, and enhanced payout flexibility. 

Let’s see how Shopify has made operating in the global market easy: 

Shopify Payments launched in 16 new countries

Now available in: Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Latvia, Hungary, Estonia, Malta, Croatia, Greece, Slovenia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, and Mexico.

Sell from multiple entities in one store

Shopify Payments now supports multiple business entities in a single store, both online and via POS. This simplifies operations, supports international expansion, and allows you to manage orders and payouts from one place.

Payouts in multiple currencies

Get paid in up to 8 currencies using Shopify Payments. This reduces foreign exchange fees and supports stores across Europe and Australia.
Eligibility depends on your Shopify plan, business location, and bank account setup.

More global commerce features

• Show duties and taxes included in product prices

• Offer DDP (Delivered Duties Paid) shipping

• Klarna now supports more EU countries

Markets & Localization Updates

• Region markets upgrades
  Create sub-markets within regions and personalize storefront experiences by location.

• Customer accounts now sync with Markets
  Ensure logged-in customers see the correct country, language, and business location throughout their account and storefront journey.

Cookies, Consent, and Compliance

• Simplified ID verification in Canada
  Easily verify identity for compliance by uploading a selfie and a photo ID.

• Cookie consent preferences
  Let shoppers manage cookie settings easily from the banner.

• Cookie banner in checkout
  Capture consent even if users bypass the storefront and go directly to checkout.

• Privacy consent on customer accounts
  Collect and respect privacy consent directly on customer account pages.

• GDPR consent audit logs
  Track and log all cookie consent and data opt-out activity for compliance.

Email marketing consent by region

Preselect marketing opt-in based on customer location or follow Shopify’s recommended defaults for easier compliance.

6. Marketing

One discount for multiple savings

Create a single discount that applies across products, orders, and shipping using select discount apps.

Updated ShopifyQL segment editing

Build and edit customer segments faster with assistive features, keyboard shortcuts, and enhanced date filtering.

Knowledge Base app for AI shopping

Customize your store’s FAQ to improve how AI shopping assistants answer customer questions.

Email Marketing Updates

• Cancel email campaigns mid-send

Fix typos, broken links, or delivery issues by canceling email campaigns even after they start sending.

• Customize email padding and footer

Adjust email padding, save footer customizations, and select between compact or expanded footer styles for stronger branding.

• Ready-to-use segmentation templates

Target customers quickly with pre-built segments based on language preference, purchase history, location, and more.

Retail segments with addresses

Create geographic customer segments using plain-language addresses instead of coordinates or retail locations.

Marketing automation templates search

Find the perfect marketing automation template using new search, sorting, and filtering options.

Campaigns tool

Track and optimize your marketing performance across multiple channels with the campaigns tool.

Collabs mobile app

Connect with creators and improve targeting with the new Collabs app available in the app store.

7. Shop App

Smarter recommendations in home feed

Reach new and returning customers with personalized product suggestions that update based on real-time shopping activity.

Online store syncs with Shop

Your online store’s product pages now sync with the Shop app, including color swatches and subscription options.

Shopper-curated collections

Customers can create, share, discover, and collaborate on collections of saved products within the Shop app.

Enhanced package tracking

Provide detailed tracking updates with easy options for customers to pay customs fees or reschedule deliveries.

Store credit works with Shop

Customers can view their store credit and loyalty points in the Shop app and use them during checkout with Shop Pay authentication.

8. B2B

Markets now available for B2B

Create multiple B2B markets with unique catalogs, currencies, and storefront theme customizations. Preview the buyer experience using the “View as” feature in the products section. Available exclusively for Shopify Plus.

VAT number validation for EU and UK

Reduce compliance risk by validating VAT numbers in the admin. Automatically apply tax exemptions for EU and UK companies using Shopify Tax.

Minimum and maximum order limits

Set order value limits for all customers or only B2B customers using the free Checkout Blocks.

Gift cards in B2B catalogs

Add gift cards to your B2B catalogs for purchase. Enjoy streamlined reporting without custom workarounds.

NetSuite integration with Shopify B2B

Sync companies, orders, purchase order numbers, and payment terms with the updated NetSuite ERP connector. Exclusive to Shopify Plus.

More B2B-compatible apps

Access broader integrations with apps like QuickBooks, collaborative buying tools, lookbooks, and more. Nine apps now support B2B.

No sales minimum for Shopify Collective

Join Shopify Collective as a supplier or retailer without a sales minimum requirement. Available in the US only.

Search and recommendations for Shopify Collective

Search for suppliers by name or get personalized recommendations on the discovery page in Shopify Collective.

9. Shipping, Fulfillment & Operations

You know what’s the key to keeping customers happy? It’s fast, smooth fulfillment, and it also helps your store grow without needing to hire more people. 

With new tools and features introduced in Shopify Summer Edition 2025, it is now easier than ever to make shipping and order management quicker and simpler, so you can focus on scaling your business with ease.

Bulk label printing

Save time by printing up to 250 shipping labels in one go, instead of handling each order separately.

Barcode scanning

Use barcodes for better tracking of inventory and transfers between locations, reducing errors and speeding up fulfillment.

Flat-rate shipping for multi-location orders

When orders come from multiple warehouses or stores, you can now apply a flat-rate shipping cost to make pricing straightforward.

More carrier options

Shopify expanded its list of supported shipping carriers, now including Purolator, SEUR, and BRT, giving you more flexibility to choose the best shipping partners.

Refunds, subscriptions, and mobile payments

You can now refund customers to store credit, easily edit subscription orders on the fly, and accept Tap to Pay directly on mobile devices for smoother in-person checkout experiences.

Together, these updates help you move orders faster, keep fulfillment costs predictable, and offer a better experience for your customers, all without adding complexity to your operations.

10. Developer: Next-Gen Platform for Faster, Smarter Building

Developers are the backbone of Shopify’s ecosystem. That’s why Shopify has revamped its developer tools to be faster, cleaner, and smarter in the Shopify Summer Edition 2025. Now it is easier for devs to build high-quality apps and storefronts without running into annoying platform limits. Plus, AI tools now play a bigger role to boost productivity and creativity.

• Local development without tunnels: Developers can build and test apps directly on their computers with instant hot reloading. This means faster feedback without needing complicated tunnel setups or constant redeployments.

• Unified Polaris UI components: Design consistency is improved by using the same UI components across admin, checkout, and customer-facing interfaces, making it easier to create seamless experiences.

• App-owned metafields & Flow improvements: Developers now have better control over custom data fields and automations, with bulk management tools to handle large datasets quickly and efficiently.

• AI-first Hydrogen Cookbook and Catalog API: Ready-made code examples and AI-powered shopping agents help developers ship storefront features faster and smarter.

• Direct POS API access and isolated dev environments: Developers can build powerful POS extensions and test app configurations safely without affecting live stores, reducing risk and speeding up deployment.

Shopify’s developer environment is evolving into a more integrated, AI-supported space where coding, testing, and deploying happen faster and smoother, ultimately helping merchants get better apps and features quicker than ever.

More Developer Highlights from Shopify Summer Edition 2025

Shopify’s developer platform just keeps getting better, making it easier and faster to build great apps and storefronts. Here are some other cool updates to watch:

• Local Development Without Tunnels: Now, developers can build and test apps instantly on their own computers, without complicated setup or tunnel services slowing them down.

• Developer Stores for Every Plan: Test your apps on real Shopify stores that mimic every plan — Basic, Plus, and everything in between — to make sure your app works perfectly everywhere.

• Isolated Development Environments: Build and try out app changes safely in a private space without risking live stores.

• Vibe-Ready Inner Loop: A smooth, AI-powered workflow inside the developer’s code editor helps cut down the usual back-and-forth between tools and Shopify, so coding flows better and faster.

• Enhanced APIs: Developers get direct access to POS APIs, improved metafield permission controls, and a unified design system with Polaris UI components — all to build apps more seamlessly.

• AI-Driven Tools and Docs: Interactive documentation and smart code snippets powered by AI help solve coding challenges faster and make development smoother.

• New Storefront Features: Embed Shopify commerce on any website with simple HTML, build AI-powered shopping assistants, and tap into millions of products using new APIs.

• Hydrogen Updates: The latest tech upgrades make storefront navigation faster, routing smarter, and theme customization easier than ever before.

• Better Developer Tools: Shopify Functions got more powerful with batch execution and new POS logic, bulk data management via CLI is coming soon, and GraphQL APIs now support advanced filtering for handling large data sets.

• Built for Shopify Program Improvements: Getting your app approved is now easier thanks to simpler design rules, smarter pre-submission checks, priority reviews by merchant plan, and improved search in key global markets.

Shopify is making sure developers have everything they need to build the future of commerce, faster, smarter, and with less hassle.

A note by Shopify Premier Partner - IT Geeks

Shopify’s latest updates introduced in Shopify Summer Edition 2025 are powerful and have the potential to change ecommerce as we know it. With smarter automation and better developer tools, these changes open up new ways for online stores to grow and improve.

New updates are always an opportunity to level up, if you get them right. But while adopting these changes, it’s important to do it carefully.

Your ecommerce store is not just your revenue source, it’s your brand’s front door, where customers connect, trust, and rely on you. So, while you make these implementations (which may look easier at first) we recommend consulting your Shopify development partner to make sure you don’t risk losing valuable data or customer trust during these updates.