The Shopify summer update of the year just dropped, and it’s packed with features that will transform how you build, manage, and grow your online store.
Shopify’s Summer ’25 Edition brings over 150 upgrades designed to eliminate technical headaches and put creative control back in your hands. Whether you’re launching your first store or managing multiple locations, these updates address the real challenges business owners face every day.
1. Horizon Theme Foundation: Professional Design Without the Designer Price Tag
What it is: A flexible theme system that combines beautiful preset designs with AI-powered customization tools.
Why it matters: Most business owners face a tough choice—use a basic theme that looks like everyone else’s, or spend thousands on custom design. Horizon eliminates this dilemma by giving you professional-grade design flexibility without requiring coding skills or hiring developers.
How to leverage Horizon for your store:
Start with preset designs:
- Browse through 10 ready-to-use presets that cover different industries and styles
- Choose one that aligns with your brand aesthetic
- Customize colors, fonts, and layouts using simple point-and-click tools
Use AI Block Generation for custom elements:
- Describe what you need in plain English (like “seasonal discount banner” or “customer testimonial section”)
- Let AI generate custom content blocks tailored to your request
- Preview and adjust until it matches your vision
Rearrange with Theme Blocks:
- Drag and drop sections just like organizing apps on your phone
- No technical knowledge required—if you can use a smartphone, you can customize your store
- Choose from 30+ content block options to build exactly what you want
2. AI Store Builder: From Concept to Launch in Minutes
What it is: An AI-powered tool that creates complete store designs based on your brand description.
Why it matters: Starting with a blank canvas is intimidating and time-consuming. AI Store Builder eliminates analysis paralysis by generating three custom design options in seconds, letting you focus on refining rather than creating from scratch.
How to use AI Store Builder effectively:
Craft a detailed brand description:
- Include your industry, target audience, and brand personality
- Mention specific colors, styles, or vibes you want to convey
- Be specific—”luxury skincare for busy professionals” works better than just “skincare”
Review and refine:
- AI generates three distinct design approaches
- Pick the one that resonates most with your vision
- Use it as a foundation and customize from there
Perfect for multiple use cases:
- First-time store owners who need guidance
- Experienced merchants testing new product lines
- Seasonal campaigns requiring fresh designs
This tool is especially valuable if you’re launching quickly or testing new markets without major design investments.
3. Redesigned POS: Faster Transactions, Stronger Brand Presence
What it is: A completely rebuilt point-of-sale app focused on speed, usability, and brand consistency.
Why it matters: Your in-store experience should feel as polished as your online presence. The new POS ensures every customer interaction reinforces your brand while making transactions smoother for both staff and customers.
Key improvements for your retail operations:
Enhanced navigation and search:
- Staff can find products faster during busy periods
- Smarter search reduces checkout bottlenecks
- Cleaner interface means less training time for new employees
Ship and carry out functionality:
- Customers take available items immediately
- Remaining items ship automatically
- Eliminates awkward “we’re out of stock” conversations
Brand customization:
- Display Editor lets you add logos and colors throughout the interface
- Every screen reinforces your brand identity
- Creates consistent experience across all touchpoints
Tap to Pay on mobile:
- Turn any smartphone into a payment terminal
- No additional hardware required
- Perfect for pop-ups, markets, or mobile selling
4. Shop App: Personalized Discovery That Drives Sales
What it is: An enhanced shopping experience with real-time recommendations and collaborative features.
Why it matters: The Shop app puts your products in front of engaged shoppers actively looking to buy. Better discovery features mean more exposure for your products and higher conversion rates.
How these updates benefit your business:
Dynamic, personalized feeds:
- Recommendations adapt in real-time as customers browse
- Your products appear when shoppers are most likely to buy
- Increased visibility without additional advertising spend
Visual product variants:
- Customers see true-to-life swatches and options
- Matches your store’s exact presentation
- Reduces confusion and returns
Collection building and sharing:
- Customers create mood boards with your products
- Social sharing drives organic discovery
- Word-of-mouth marketing happens naturally
The enhanced discovery features essentially give you a free marketing channel that works 24/7 to connect your products with interested buyers.
5. Global Payments: Simplified International Business
What it is: Multi-entity support and expanded payment options across new markets.
Why it matters: Expanding internationally used to mean juggling multiple systems, currencies, and compliance requirements. These updates make global selling feel like running a local business.
Streamline your international operations:
Multi-entity management:
- Run multiple business entities from one admin panel
- Consolidate reporting across different legal structures
- Simplify operations whether you’re selling online or in-person
Expanded market reach:
- Shopify Payments now available in Mexico and 15 new European markets
- More local payment methods for European customers
- Accept 130+ currencies, settle in up to eight
Reduced complexity:
- Fewer foreign exchange fees
- Less financial juggling between accounts
- Unified reporting that finance teams actually understand
If you’ve been hesitant about international expansion due to operational complexity, these updates remove many traditional barriers.
6. Knowledge Base App: Control Your AI Story
What it is: A tool that lets you customize how AI shopping assistants represent your brand and products.
Why it matters: As AI shopping becomes mainstream, you need control over how your products are described and recommended. This app ensures your unique selling points come through even when AI is doing the talking.
Take control of AI interactions:
Customize AI responses:
- Define exactly how your products should be described
- Highlight unique features and benefits
- Ensure brand voice consistency across AI platforms
Optimize for common questions:
- Get insights into what customers actually ask
- Prepare answers for frequently asked questions
- Stay ahead of customer needs and concerns
Protect your competitive advantage:
- Ensure AI mentions your unique selling points
- Control which product features get emphasized
- Maintain brand storytelling even in automated interactions
This becomes increasingly important as more customers use AI assistants for shopping research and decisions.
7. Enhanced Sidekick: Your AI Business Analyst
What it is: An upgraded AI assistant that provides deeper insights and more complex problem-solving capabilities.
Why it matters: Making data-driven decisions shouldn’t require a data science degree. Enhanced Sidekick analyzes your store’s performance and provides actionable insights in plain English.
Leverage Sidekick for better business decisions:
Root cause analysis:
- Ask about sales spikes or dips
- Get detailed explanations of what’s driving changes
- Understand which factors actually impact your business
Voice and visual interaction:
- Talk through problems in real-time
- Share your screen for immediate help
- Get solutions through natural conversation
Multilingual support:
- Now available in 20 languages
- Get help in your preferred language
- Expand to international markets with confidence
Creative assistance:
- Generate marketing images instantly
- Create visual content without design skills
- Maintain consistent brand aesthetics
What This Means for Your Business
These Summer ’25 updates represent a fundamental shift in how Shopify thinks about merchant success. Instead of requiring technical expertise, these tools put creative control and business intelligence directly in your hands.
The bottom line: You can now build professional stores, manage complex operations, and make data-driven decisions without hiring specialists or learning code.
Your next steps:
- Explore Horizon if you’re planning any design updates or launching new stores
- Test the new POS if you have physical locations or do in-person selling
- Set up Knowledge Base to control your AI representation
- Start using enhanced Sidekick for business insights and problem-solving
The merchants who embrace these tools early will have a significant advantage in the competitive e-commerce landscape. These aren’t just feature updates—they’re competitive advantages that level the playing field between small businesses and enterprise retailers.
