Shopify Summer ‘25 Edition: What We’re Watching Closely

Summer Editions always pull attention. Shopify runs on a seasonal release cycle now, and it’s become a reliable signal for where the platform’s headed. If you build on Shopify or run anything serious on it, this update matters.

We’ll be live-blogging the whole rollout with key takeaways as it happens.

Here are the updates:

Horizon: A New Theme Design System (Available May 21, 2025)

Horizon is the centerpiece of Shopify’s Summer Edition release. It introduces a new structure for Shopify themes with nested theme blocks, updated editor capabilities, and ten polished presets. The result is a cleaner base to build from, especially for teams trying to avoid excessive theme overrides. Horizon won’t replace custom work, but it does raise the baseline. Fewer headaches from outdated frameworks is a win for everyone.

AI Block Generation in Themes (Available May 21, 2025)

AI-generated layout blocks now plug into Horizon and other compatible themes. This new Shopify Summer Edition feature is a step toward faster prototyping and basic content scaffolding. It’s not replacing hands-on creative or strategic design, but it makes iterating faster in the early stages of development, which is definitely a welcome addition.

One Discount, Multiple Savings (Available May 21, 2025)

Finally, a single discount can now cover product promos, order totals, and shipping in one go. This has been on merchant wish lists for years. The only catch is that it still requires a third-party app. Still, a meaningful improvement in promo logic that can reduce friction during checkout.

Refund to Store Credit (Available May 16, 2025)

While this Shopify feature is one of the smaller ones announced during the Summer Edition, it’s quite impactful. Refunds can now be issued as store credit directly from the admin or POS, no matter how the customer paid. Makes post-purchase workflows more efficient and adds a little more control over retention. No add-ons required.

Ship & Carryout Orders in POS (Available Now)

Staff can now split orders between shipped and in-store pickup, all in one transaction. This new Shopify feature creates a smoother process for both customers and teams. More importantly, it reduces the number of workarounds required to make mixed fulfillment work in retail environments.

Region Markets (Available May 5, 2025)

Shopify Summer Edition makes region-based markets manageable from within the Markets admin. Instead of building workarounds for localized experiences, there’s now a native path to customize buyer-facing details by region. For international stores, this simplifies a lot of unnecessary overhead.

Multi-Entity Management via Shopify Payments (Available May 12, 2025)

This unlocks real operational value. Merchants operating across different legal entities can now manage them from one admin. No more spinning up duplicate stores just to separate taxes or ownership. Not flashy, but an actual infrastructure shift for global ecommerce teams.

B2B: Min & Max Order Totals in Checkout Blocks (Available April 24, 2025)

This new Shopify Summer Edition feature directly addresses a common frustration. Minimum and maximum order rules are now built into Checkout Blocks, scoped specifically to B2B customers if needed. Blended stores no longer need a tangle of third-party rules to enforce purchase logic.

Campaigns: Measure Multichannel Marketing (Available May 21, 2025)

Campaigns brings QR codes, UTM tracking, share links, and attribution controls into a central space. For marketers trying to prove what’s working, this is a quality-of-life upgrade. Curious to see how this plays with more robust external analytics, but good to see Shopify acknowledging the need.

Business Entities (Available May 12, 2025)

Managing legal and business entity details just got less annoying. This new Shopify Summer Edition feature won’t grab headlines, but it reduces friction across the platform. Anything that keeps teams focused on growth instead of compliance busywork is worth calling out.

Sidekick Reasoning Improvements (Available Now)

Sidekick has been smart, but mostly reactive. This upgrade gives it the ability to think across steps, synthesize insights, and offer more relevant suggestions. It’s still early, and skepticism is warranted, but if this helps operators solve problems faster, it’s a step in the right direction.

Next-Gen Dev Platform (Early Access Now, GA July 30, 2025)

Big upgrade for developers. A new dashboard for app management was introduced during the Shopify Summer Edition. It gives devs the ability to preview changes without deploying and early access to Plus-only features in dev stores. More transparency and better tooling often lead to better apps. This is the type of update that helps the entire ecosystem.

Updated Markets and Catalogs APIs (Available March 17, 2025)

Apps that haven’t updated to the new Markets API will lose compatibility. Not the most glamorous announcement, but very relevant for anyone building or maintaining integrations. Worth flagging before issues start showing up in production.

Considering all these changes and how they’ll impact your store? Let Coalition Technologies help you navigate the Shopify Summer ’25 Edition. Contact us today to discuss your Shopify web needs and ensure you’re making the most of these exciting updates!