The ‘Boring’ updates your platform actually needs

Remember how so many stage speakers at the NXT:C Summit 2024 emphasized the same theme? Simplification. Focus. The need for streamlined solutions that cut through clutter and help brands grow. It’s clear: merchants want fewer tools adding complexity and more systems that make growth simpler, not harder.

Well, it seems Shopify is listening. They’ve just dropped their latest Shopify Editions, and this one is called “The Boring Edition.” But don’t let the name fool you. It’s all about refinement—making the tools you already rely on work smarter, faster, and more seamlessly. 

Why? Because the industry is craving simplicity and efficiency. Shopify is responding by doubling down on the essentials, giving merchants the stability they need to focus on the big stuff.

In this article, we’ll explore how this “Boring” Edition tackles the real challenges European merchants face every day. Proof that sometimes, boring is exactly what gets the job done.

The issue:

European customers expect to see clear, all-inclusive pricing upfront. Surprise costs like duties and taxes appearing at checkout can erode trust, leading to abandoned carts. This is especially critical in regions like the EU, where transparency in pricing is often both expected and legally required.

The update: 

• Duties included in prices: Shopify has expanded this feature to all merchants using Managed Markets. Previously, not all merchants could include international duties and taxes directly in product prices. Now, every merchant with Managed Markets can display final, all-inclusive prices, ensuring a more predictable shopping experience for customers.

The issue:

Europe’s ecommerce landscape is defined by diversity—multiple languages, currencies, and payment preferences. Poor search functionality or the absence of familiar payment methods can alienate shoppers, especially in competitive markets.

The updates: 

• Semantic Search in 90+ languages: Shopify’s search functionality now supports everyday language across 90+ languages, thanks to new multi-lingual embeddings. This ensures more relevant results for global shoppers, whether they’re searching for “shirt,” “chemise,” or “camisa.” While semantic search existed previously, this update significantly broadens its language capabilities, making it more accessible and effective for international merchants.
  
• Klarna in more countries: Klarna’s Buy Now, Pay Later option is now available via Shopify Payments in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, catering to shoppers’ local preferences.

The issue:  

In commerce, brand consistency goes beyond aesthetics—it’s about delivering a seamless experience that builds trust. Customers expect polished interactions from checkout to customer accounts. For B2B merchants, this is equally important, as buyers demand professional, intuitive workflows to manage orders, invoices, and quotes. When these touchpoints feel disjointed or lack customization, both trust and efficiency suffer.

The updates: 

• Customer account extensions: Shopify now allows merchants to add advanced self-serve functionalities to customer accounts without a line of code required. Merchants can enhance customer accounts with loyalty programs, wishlists, and post-purchase offers, all under a unified login with consistent branding. For B2B merchants, this includes features like downloadable invoices, automated quoting workflows, and other streamlined solutions tailored to professional buyers.
  
  Although announced last year, this feature had been in developer preview until now. With the expected announcement of the depreciation of account.liquid, it’s now official that this is the future of Shopify accounts. We’ve already onboarded most of our recent projects to the new Customer Accounts, and the ability to customize them has been highly anticipated.
  
  
• Branded login pages: Login pages can now reflect the same design elements as your store’s checkout and customer accounts, with full customization options for fonts, colors, and more—including for B2B merchants. This long-awaited update addresses a frustration we’ve had for years, finally delivering the cohesive branding experience merchants and customers have been asking for.
  
• Theme Blocks launch: A new feature for developers, Theme Blocks enable reusable design elements to be defined at the theme level. These blocks can be used across multiple sections of a theme, nested up to eight levels deep, and passed dynamic context. This allows merchants to benefit from faster and more consistent updates across their stores, ensuring cohesive designs without the need for repetitive coding.
  
• Checkout Blocks on more pages: Merchants on all plans can now customize thank you and order status pages with the free Checkout Blocks app—no coding required. While a great step forward for branding and post-purchase experience, the ability to customize the checkout itself remains limited to Plus plans.

The issue:

Site speed isn’t just about convenience—it’s about conversions. A single second faster can boost mobile conversions by up to 27%, while 79% of shoppers won’t return to a slow site. Slow carts and checkouts mean frustrated customers, abandoned sales, and missed revenue.

The update:

• Faster cart and checkout: Shopify has optimized cart loading speeds by up to 50% globally, ensuring customers can review their purchases without delays. Checkout performance has also improved with faster one-page loading and accelerated buttons like Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal (now 58% faster).

The issue:

How much time do you spend trying to get the answers you need or automating repetitive tasks? For many merchants, the lack of clear, actionable data or automation tools leads to inefficiencies that stall growth. Add the complexity of managing multiple markets, and you’re often left juggling too much with too little help.

The updates:

• Metaobject triggers in Flow: Metaobjects, Shopify’s structured data tool, now integrate seamlessly with Shopify Flow. This long-awaited feature allows merchants to automate workflows whenever a new metaobject entry is created—like sending a thank-you email after a form submission or updating customer profiles. Additionally, Metaobjects can now be selected directly in the theme editor rather than being hardcoded, making it simpler to create customizable frontends. This dual enhancement not only eliminates repetitive tasks but also opens up more possibilities for automation and flexibility across your platform.
  
• Category filter ordering: Shopify Search & Discovery finally lets merchants control the exact order of their category filter values. This much-anticipated feature eliminates the need for custom code, offering greater flexibility and an improved customer experience.
  
• Sidekick for all (English): Shopify’s AI-powered assistant, Sidekick, is now available to all merchants in English. Designed to understand Shopify inside and out, it provides store-specific insights and personalized recommendations. Accessible via the Shopify admin, merchants can quickly get answers, streamline operations, and save time.
  
• New Analytics & ShopifyQL: Shopify’s new Analytics offers faster, more flexible reporting with real-time insights. Using ShopifyQL you can create custom data explorations directly from reports. This allows merchants to dive deeper into store performance, track trends, and optimize key metrics. Think of it as having your own customizable data hub, accessible to all merchants, regardless of plan.

The issue:

Unified commerce is the future, but achieving it isn’t always easy. Fragmented processes, from draft orders to in-store returns and inconsistent customer data, make it hard to deliver a cohesive experience. For merchants juggling these channels, the challenge lies in unifying workflows to boost efficiency and meet customer expectations everywhere.

The updates:

• Shopify Functions in draft orders: This long-overdue update extends checkout customizations, built with Shopify Functions, to draft orders—a frustration we’ve faced as some of our clients rely heavily on this feature for their workflows. While useful for all merchants, it’s especially impactful for B2B operations that manage custom pricing, deposits, and bulk orders. By ensuring consistent logic across both checkout and draft workflows, this update reduces manual intervention and streamlines processes. Advanced B2B features are exclusive to Shopify Plus.
  
• Unverified retail returns: Shopify POS Pro now allows staff to process returns without a receipt or order number, issuing refunds to gift cards and ensuring flexibility for unverified purchases like gifts or legacy transactions. Plus, with Shopify POS now available in France, merchants can integrate these workflows into their in-store operations for a more cohesive experience.
  
• Customer Metafields on POS: Merchants can now capture, view, and edit customer-specific data directly in Shopify POS. Whether it’s tracking loyalty statuses, preferences, or other personalized details, this ensures that customer data is consistent across online and offline channels. By unifying this information, merchants can provide more tailored experiences—like personalized offers or seamless loyalty rewards—regardless of where customers interact with their brand.
  

These are just a few of the POS updates included in this edition, underscoring Shopify’s commitment to becoming the leader in unified commerce. We’ve chosen these highlights, but the overall advancements reflect Shopify’s focus on streamlining in-store and online operations for merchants everywhere.

Here’s the thing about conclusions: they’re usually a polite way to say, “The end.” But since this is The Boring Edition, we’re cutting out the unnecessary to focus on what works. You’ve got the insights, the updates, and the fixes—so we’ll skip the usual wrap-up and leave you with this: boring works. And when boring works, your store thrives. That’s it. No fanfare, just facts. Now go make your store simpler, faster, and a little less boring.

Next year, we’re turning 'The Boring Edition' into a live conversation. At our Ask Phill & Friends event, Shopify will join us to break down the latest updates alongside industry leaders unpacking 2025’s biggest topics in tech, strategy, and retention.

It’s your chance to discover how these updates can transform your business and connect with the people shaping the future of commerce. Follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletter below for all event details coming soon!