It’s that time of year again - Shopify Winter Editions! If you’re running a Shopify store, you know how important these regular updates from Shopify are for optimising your business. Shopify Editions drops twice a year - in the summer and the winter - and in each drop new features, updates and tools are rolled out that make running your eCommerce business smoother and more profitable.
Shopify Winter Editions 2025 may not be the flashiest update, sure even Shopify branded it as "The Boring Edition", but its over 150 updates are still super valuable to Shopify store owners. The updates focus more on refining Shopify’s core functionalities rather than introducing splashy, headline-grabbing features. Shopify has taken the features you already depend on and supercharged them - whether that’s creating smarter tools for POS, building personalised customer account experiences, or improving checkout and cart performance. It’s less about adding shiny new toys and more about making the tools you already rely on more powerful and seamless, ensuring merchants can focus on what they do best - running their businesses.
At Sharp Media, our job as a Shopify Partner agency is to help you make sense of Shopify’s latest updates. So we’ve sorted through the updates to identify the most important ones for store owners and eCommerce managers. So let's get into it...
1. Offline Payments for Shopify POS: A Game-Changer for Retailers
We're super excited about this one, as it's a serious help for our clients on Shopify POS. With the winter edition updates, Shopify POS now allows offline payment processing, meaning you can still accept card payments even if your internet connection drops. It works by securely storing payment details when offline and then processing them as soon as your network is back online.
Why does this matter you might ask? Well as much as we love Shopify POS it's notorious for requiring a strong Wi-Fi signal, and retailers have long struggled with connectivity issues. With offline payments, businesses can avoid losing sales when the internet goes down. However, it’s important to note that payment is processed only after the connection is restored. If a payment fails, it may require following up with the customer after the transaction has already taken place.
Sharp Media Tip: We recommend always collecting the customer’s contact information such as email or phone number at checkout when using offline payments. This ensures you can follow up if there’s a payment issue.
2. Custom Metafields in POS: Personalised In-Store Experiences
Another POS update! Custom metafields are now available in Shopify POS, allowing you to store additional unique customer details such as birthdays, preferences, or even specific purchase habits right in your POS dashboard.
We all know personalisation is key to enhancing the customer experience. By capturing these details, you can create tailored follow-ups like exclusive birthday discounts or special offers for frequent in-store shoppers.
Sharp Media Tip: We recommend using this feature to integrate your custom metafield data into loyalty programmes or email campaigns. Personalised experiences build stronger customer relationships and encourage repeat purchases.
3. Product Bundles: A Boost for AOV (Average Order Value)
Shopify’s product bundles feature makes it easier for merchants to create and manage multi-product deals. Bundles can now be published directly to Shopify POS, and their performance can be tracked through advanced reporting tools. Product bundles drive higher Average Order Value (AOV) and provide customers with value-driven deals. This is especially helpful during seasonal promotions or when promoting complementary products.
Sharp Media Tip: Test different bundle combinations and use Shopify’s reporting tools to analyse what works best. Seasonal bundles can also be a great way to clear slow-moving stock.
4. More Automatic Discounts for Your Shopify Store: Up to 25 Active Automatic Discounts
Shopify now allows up to 25 active automatic discounts, compared to the previous limit of 5. These include options like percentage-based discounts, free shipping, and “Buy X, Get Y” deals. This feature is relevant to you if you run multiple promotions at a time and it will be particularly helpful during peak seasons like Black Friday. Overall, this update ensures you can layer campaigns effectively without compromising customer engagement. Great to see Shopify improving their discount features, although we're still waiting for stacking discounts to be added (@ shopify).
5. Faster Cart and Checkout Speeds: Reducing Cart Abandonment
Although our Shopify clients rarely report issues with the speed of cart & checkout, we all know a faster checkout means higher conversion rates so it's a much welcomed update. With up to 50% faster cart requests and accelerated checkout buttons (like Shop Pay and Apple Pay) loading quicker, this update directly tackles cart abandonment and improves the overall shopping experience. More details here.
Sharp Media Tip: Pair this improvement with Shopify’s one-page checkout feature for an even smoother user experience at checkout.
6. Customer Account Extensions: Transforming the Post-Purchase Journey
Shopify’s updated customer accounts now allow merchants to customise dashboards with loyalty programmes, subscription management, and more. Post-purchase engagement is critical for building loyalty and driving repeat business. These updates make it easier for customers to manage their accounts and engage with your brand.
Sharp Media Tip: Use these customisation options to integrate loyalty points, rewards, or subscription services seamlessly into customer accounts.
7. Custom Analytics Queries with ShopifyQL: Real-Time Data at Your Fingertips
ShopifyQL allows merchants to create real-time, custom analytics queries directly from reports. This means more dynamic and tailored insights for your business. From identifying top-performing products to analysing regional sales trends, ShopifyQL provides a powerful tool for data-driven decision-making.
Sharp Media Tip: Start with simple queries and gradually build more complex ones to extract deeper insights. If you’re unsure where to start, Shopify’s prebuilt templates can guide you.
8. VAT Compliance Simplified with Shopify Tax
VAT and Tax can sound pretty boring but when it comes to improving the profitability of your business, you can't forget about optimising and streamlining your internal operations. Shopify Tax is now available in the EU and UK, automating VAT calculations, liability tracking, and invoicing. VAT compliance is a major challenge for businesses selling across borders and this update simplifies the process significantly, freeing up time so you can focus on growing your business.
Conclusion
Shopify Winter Editions 2025 is packed with updates that streamline merchant workflows, improve customer experiences, and drive sales. Whether it’s offline payments for Shopify POS, customisable customer accounts, or enhanced analytics, these features are designed to help merchants thrive.
At Sharp Media, we specialise in helping businesses grow on Shopify. From Shopify POS migrations to website builds, conversion rate optimisation, and Shopify retainers, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Curious about how these updates can benefit your store? Let’s chat! Contact us today for a Free Consultation and take your Shopify store to the next level.
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