Shopify Winter Edition 2025: The Unexpected Update You’ll Love
The Shopify Winter Edition 2025 is here, and it’s packed with exciting updates designed to make your life easier and your customers’ shopping experience even better. From smarter search filters to more flexible subscription options, these features will transform how you manage and grow your business.
Let’s explore!
Shopify Winter Edition Updates 2025
Here’s a closer look at all the updates that are set to redefine your Shopify experience this season.
Product & Order Management Enhancements:
#1 Refined Search with Combined Listings
Now, you can take full control of how products appear in search results and recommendations. Shopify allows you to configure combined listings, giving you the power to choose whether parent or child products should be shown. This improvement enhances the search experience for your customers by ensuring that the most relevant products pop up first.
#2 Bundle Inventory Visibility
The latest upgrade to bundle inventory management allows you to notify customers before they even get to the checkout page when a product bundle is out of stock. This feature makes sure that customers aren't taken by surprise, whether you're using fulfillable inventory or managed markets. This makes the purchasing experience easier and transparent.
#3 Simplified Returns Process in the Shop App
With the new "Returns in Shop" functionality, Shopify is simplifying exchanges and returns for both customers and store owners. The Shop app's order management page now allows customers to start returns straight from there, streamlining the procedure and providing a more convenient, hassle-free shopping experience.
#4 Automate Collective Returns
Returning orders just got easier! Shopify now lets you automate Collective returns, whether or not you're using third-party apps. This automation is perfect for streamlining returns and making your supply chain operations more scalable and efficient.
#5 Self-Service Returns for B2B
Exclusive to Shopify Plus, B2B customers now have the ability to initiate returns directly through their customer accounts—just like Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) customers. This self-serve option puts more control in the hands of your clients and improves the overall customer experience.
#6 Enhanced Order Editing for International Orders
Shopify Managed Markets now allows you to make edits to existing orders, especially for international customers. This makes it easier to correct mistakes, update shipping details, or add new items after the order has been placed.
#7 Protection Against Overselling Subscriptions
Your subscription orders will now follow your inventory settings thanks to Shopify's oversell protection for subscription renewals. You won't oversell something you can't deliver if a product is out of stock because no further subscription orders will be filled. This extra safeguard makes sure you never make promises you can't keep and helps preserve trust.
Customer Experience & Personalization:
#1 Metaobjects Made Easy
With the dynamic source picker in the theme editor, you can now easily access and display metaobjects across your entire store. You can easily integrate brand ambassadors, prominent reviews, and other significant content into your theme. Without having to delve into the coding, this makes it simpler to customize your store and increase customer trust.
#2 More Discounts, More Opportunities
Shopify has expanded the limit for app-based automatic discounts from 5 to 25. This update allows you to run a wider range of discount campaigns, be it seasonal sales, customer loyalty discounts, or time-sensitive offers. It’s the perfect opportunity to increase conversions and offer personalized promotions to your audience.
#3 Smart Collections with More Power
It is now simpler than ever to match products based on a number of criteria, including title, kind, tags, price, and even stock levels, thanks to Shopify's smart collections, which handle up to 60 conditions. In the end, this increased flexibility improves product discoverability by ensuring that your collections are more accurate and customized to your store's requirements.
Also read: A guide to split testing for pricing.
#4 Customized Draft Order Checkouts
Shopify now allows you to customize draft order checkouts with checkout UI extensions. For example, you can add specific shipping messages for B2B customers, making your checkout process even more personalized. This feature is exclusive to Shopify Plus users.
#5 Increased Shipping Insurance
Shopify Managed Markets now includes up to $200 in shipping insurance for loss, damage, or theft on shipping labels for the Shopify plan and above. You can also opt to purchase up to $5K in coverage, providing you with peace of mind when shipping internationally.
#6 Search Filters Now Available in the Shop App
Shopify’s search filters are now more powerful than ever. Any custom search or collection filters you set up on your store are now automatically available in the Shop app. This integration improves how customers browse and find products, making the shopping experience more efficient and intuitive.
#7 Offline Payments Now Available
What happens when your network goes down? The most recent offline payment functionality from Shopify allows you to continue accepting in-person card payments without any disruptions. Once your system goes back online, payment information will be processed and stored securely to guarantee that no sales are lost.
#8 View and Edit Customer Metafields on POS
The customer experience just got a major upgrade with the ability to view and edit customer metafields directly on Shopify POS. This helps store staff access valuable customer info during checkout, enhancing personal service and improving in-store interactions.
#9 Relevant Metrics at Your Fingertips
Customizing the metrics on your Shopify app’s home screen has never been easier. With this new feature, you can see at-a-glance insights that matter most to you, giving you quick access to relevant data while you’re on the go.
Operational Efficiency:
#1 File Shipping Claims with Ease
Say goodbye to the hassle of filing insurance claims manually. Shopify now lets you file claims for damaged or missing items directly from the admin panel, saving you valuable time and effort.
#2 Refund Shipping with One Click
Refunding shipping costs has never been easier. You can now process shipping refunds with a single click. Plus, the updated system provides a clear timeline of all previous refunds, making it easier to track past actions. The order details page will also show accurate amounts after the refund.
#3 More Flexibility with Multiple Fulfillment Holds
Managing fulfillment holds just got easier. Shopify now allows multiple holds on a single order, giving you greater clarity on the reasons behind the hold and helping reduce errors in your automation workflows.
#4 Simplified Location Management
Managing your locations is faster than ever. The new filters and search options in your POS location settings let you access and update your default fulfillment location with just a few clicks.
#5 Speedier Admin: A Faster Experience
The Shopify admin is now faster than before. Initial page load speeds are up by 25%, and navigation between pages is 12.5% quicker, improving overall workflow efficiency.
You can also go through our Shopify summer editions 2024.
Automation & Workflow Management:
#1 Metaobject Triggers in Flow
Shopify Flow now supports metaobject triggers, enabling you to automate actions like sending a thank-you email after a form submission. This makes automating tasks more seamless and tailored to your needs.
#2 RFM Analysis Report
With the new Recency, Frequency, and Monetary (RFM) report in the analytics dashboard, you can better understand your customer segments. This tool will help you make data-driven decisions on how to re-engage specific customer groups.
#3 Find Flow Runs Directly in Admin
Managing your workflows just became simpler. Shopify Flow runs are now searchable from the admin page you’re on, whether it's for orders, products, or other tasks, making it faster to locate and manage your automations.
POS & In-Store Experience:
#1 Shopify POS Just Got Smarter
In this update, Shopify has revamped its POS (Point of Sale) system to be more intuitive and customer-friendly. Here’s what’s new:
- Product Thumbnails & Bigger Buttons: Retail customers will now see larger images of products and more visible buttons, making it easier to browse and select items.
- Multiple Receipt Options: Shoppers can now choose different receipt types, giving them more control over their in-store experience.
#2 Search Smarter With The New Split-Screen Search Feature
Shopify’s new split-screen search functionality makes it easier for your staff to find and add items to the cart. The home screen now displays the cart alongside search results, and with a simple tap, items can be added directly to the cart, streamlining the whole process.
#3 Retail Customer Segments Enhanced with Location-Based Filters
Take personalization to the next level with new location-based filters for customer segments. These filters allow you to target nearby customers, tailoring your marketing campaigns and promotions to those who are most likely to make an in-store visit.
#4 Compact Display for Improved Speed
The Shopify POS app layout has been made more compact with modal views, ensuring that staff can quickly access the most relevant information. This reduction in clutter leads to a more efficient and faster workflow in-store.
Checkout & Payment Experience:
#1 Checkout Blocks for All Plans
Customization is now easier for every Shopify merchant, thanks to Checkout Blocks. You can now make simple customizations on the thank you and order status pages, even if you're on a free plan. This feature requires no coding skills, making it accessible to everyone.
#2 Faster Cart and Checkout Process
Shopify has significantly boosted cart loading speeds, making the process up to 50% faster. This means your customers will enjoy a smoother, quicker checkout experience, leading to less abandoned carts and higher conversion rates.
#3 Split Shipping: A New Feature for Every Merchant
Now, every merchant can offer split shipping during checkout. Whether you’re fulfilling orders in-house or using third-party fulfillment apps like ShipStation or ShipBob, this feature ensures your customers get their items faster by splitting shipments as needed.
#4 Flexible Payments with Shop Pay Installments
For US-based enterprise businesses, the introduction of Shop Pay Installments allows you to offer customers the option to pay over time. This feature makes larger purchases more accessible and can help increase conversion rates.
#5 Accelerated Checkout Button Preview
Now you can see exactly how accelerated checkout buttons—like Shop Pay, PayPal, and Apple Pay—will appear in the checkout process. This preview feature, available in the checkout and accounts editor, helps you ensure everything looks just right before going live.
#6 Add a Chat App to Checkout Pages
Customer support just got easier with the ability to integrate chat apps into the checkout process. Merchants can add chat apps to the thank you page or any checkout page (for Shopify Plus users), offering instant support when customers need it most.
#7 Smoother, Faster Checkout Loading
The checkout page now loads faster with new animations and asynchronous loading. Customers will notice a difference, as they can begin interacting with the page more than one second sooner, making for a smoother, more responsive checkout experience.
B2B Features & Customization:
#1 Revolutionized Draft Orders for B2B
Shopify has revamped its draft orders for B2B transactions. Now, you can lock product prices and offer bundles easily. For those on Shopify Plus, there’s even more: the ability to collect deposits and manage vaulted cards to simplify payment processing.
#2 Customization for B2B Customer Accounts
With the new customer account extensions, you can tailor your B2B customers' experience. Integrate apps to introduce features like quoting workflows, downloadable PDF invoices, and other specialized tools. This gives you the flexibility to meet the unique needs of your business customers.
International & Global Reach:
#1 Expand Your Reach with Multi-Language Natural Search
Shopify’s Semantic Search has expanded to include more languages, allowing customers from around the world to search using everyday language. This feature makes your store more accessible to international audiences, providing a better search experience for your global customer base.
#2 Include Duties in Prices: Avoid Checkout Surprises
All merchants using Managed Markets can now include international duties and taxes as part of the product price. This update reduces the likelihood of unexpected charges during checkout, providing a smoother experience for international customers.
Subscription & Customization Features:
#1 Subscription Plans: Now at Your Fingertips
Subscription-based products just got a lot easier to manage. You can now create and manage subscription plans directly from the product details page in your Shopify admin. By placing this feature in the "Purchase Options" section, it’s now more convenient for you to set up and manage recurring billing for products—enhancing the overall customer experience.
#2 Custom Metafields for Product Categories
The Winter Edition introduces the ability to assign custom metafields to specific product categories. This feature allows you to tailor Shopify’s taxonomy to better suit your store’s needs, enhancing how you categorize and display products. This update is perfect for stores with unique product types or specific attributes that need additional customization.
#3 "Buy X Get Y" for Subscriptions
The popular Buy X Get Y promotion now works smoothly with subscription products. You can offer customers discounts such as free gifts or bonus products when they subscribe, adding extra value and driving more subscriptions to your store. It’s a great way to increase customer loyalty while boosting sales.
To Wrap Up
With these fresh updates, Shopify’s Winter Edition 2025 brings you tools to boost your store's efficiency and keep your customers coming back for more. Now’s the time to tap into these features and really give your store a competitive edge—your next big upgrade is just around the corner!
Author
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Written by: Gopi Radadiya
January 17, 2025
