With the Shopify Winter Editions 2025, Shopify once again proves why it is one of the leading platforms in e-commerce. Under the motto “The Boring Editions”, Shopify shows (not at all boring) how exciting efficiency and optimization can be. Instead of focusing on spectacular new features, this time the focus is on improvements to existing functions - and they are quite something.
In this blog post, we'll show you the latest updates and features that not only excite our developers, but also have the potential to optimize your Shopify store. Our experts also share their personal highlights and provide insights into how these innovations can change the everyday lives of merchants.
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What are the Shopify Editions?
Shopify Editions are a bi-annual update format that excites merchants and developers alike. Twice a year, in summer and winter, Shopify presents a series of improvements and new functions that are specifically designed to make everyday e-commerce more efficient. These innovations are presented on a central landing page, which is supplemented with videos, articles and detailed examples. The current winter version has been live since December and demonstrates the extent to which Shopify is responding to the needs of its merchants.
The current version of Shopify Editions for Winter went live on December 11, 2024 and can be viewed on the Shopify Editions landing page.
Planning your Shopify Plus launch? Our checklist will help you not to overlook anything.
What's new: The most exciting updates of the Shopify Winter Editions
Shopify Tax: The simple solution for VAT compliance in the EU and UK
One of the most exciting updates is Shopify Tax, a new solution for VAT compliance in the European Union and the UK. With Shopify Tax, merchants can calculate country and product-specific tax rates, create VAT-compliant invoices and track tax obligations directly in the Shopify admin area.
Of particular note is the intelligent tax overview, which shows merchants where they need to register and when they have reached new sales thresholds. This feature not only helps to better understand tax obligations, but also to act with foresight.
Sebastian, Teamlead of the Retainer team, sees great potential in Shopify Tax:
“I find Shopify Tax incredibly valuable for merchants. The simplified VAT compliance in the EU and UK is a real relief, especially for businesses looking to expand internationally.”
Reading tip: Learn more about the Tax Exempt Manager app to offer tax-free purchases for your B2B customers.
Shopify Subscriptions: Finally manage subscriptions natively
One of the most anticipated features of the Winter Editions is the introduction of the Shopify Subscriptions App. Until now, merchants have had to rely on third-party apps to integrate subscriptions into their stores. With this native solution, it is now possible to create, edit and manage subscription products directly in the Shopify admin area.
Djibril, Team Lead of the Backend Team, explains why this innovation is so significant:
"The Shopify Subscriptions App is a huge step forward. Merchants can now manage all subscription options directly on the product detail page. This saves the time and cost of an additional app, reduces complexity and ensures a seamless shopping experience for customers."
This function is particularly interesting for stores that offer recurring sales such as subscription boxes or products with regular refills. Seamless integration eliminates the need to use additional tools, which is a significant improvement for both retailers and customers.
Reading tip: How to use subscription models for your e-commerce.
Management of Hydrogen Custom Environment files
As a Shopify Premium Partner with numerous enterprise customers who are increasingly using Shopify Hydrogen for multi-store solutions, the introduction of managing multiple Env files via the console brings a decisive advantage. Managing multiple Shopify Plus stores for different markets while using a single codebase can quickly become confusing.
Our developer Patrick, Teamlead of the Frontend Team, has this to say:
“The ability to centrally manage different Env files for different stores is an absolute game changer. It saves an enormous amount of time during deployment and makes Hydrogen even more powerful for complex setups. This function will improve the way we implement multi-store projects in the long term.”
Reading tip: Headless e-commerce with Shopify - how retailers benefit from using Hydrogen & Oxygen.
Draft orders: More flexibility and functionality
Draft orders are another highlight of the Winter Editions and now offer retailers even more flexibility. Draft orders behave like regular orders in the checkout and support functions such as bundles, discount codes and checkout extensions. This new feature is ideal for personalized orders, B2B orders or orders taken over the phone or via chat.
Jan, founder and managing director of Latori, is particularly enthusiastic about this:
“For me, the new draft orders are an absolute highlight. At last, employees or apps can create draft orders that work just like normal orders in the checkout. This is perfect for B2B orders or individual offers.”
Luigi, Tech lead at Latori, also emphasizes that the ability to use discount codes for draft orders is a huge improvement. This feature not only offers more flexibility, but also makes it easier for retailers to offer their customers a professional and seamless shopping experience.
Reading tip: Shopify bundles can be another option that you can use. You can find out more in this article.
Meta objects in the theme editor
With the Winter Editions, Shopify meta objects are now available everywhere in the theme editor. This innovation enables merchants and developers to add personalized content such as dynamic product details or landing pages directly in the store - without any additional programming effort.
Hasaan, Frontend Developer, explains why this feature is a personal highlight for him:
“The availability of meta objects in the theme editor is a relief. Previously, we had to manually adjust API requests to sort filters or insert content dynamically. Now this is possible directly in the theme editor - easier and faster.”
This function not only saves time, but also offers more creative freedom, which is particularly advantageous for individual projects.
Reading tip: You can find everything you need to know about Shopify themes in this blog.
Shopify Flow: automation rethought
Shopify Flow has made a significant development leap with the integration of the Admin API. This extension enables merchants to create complex, data-driven workflows that go far beyond conventional automation. Whether automatic stock updates, price changes or personalized notifications - the new functions offer almost unlimited possibilities for process optimization.
Another new feature is the ability to trigger automations based on segment changes: If a customer becomes part of a VIP segment, for example, a welcome email can be sent automatically. In addition, all marketing automation templates are now supported by Shopify Flow and available in the template library. This makes automations even more powerful and versatile.
Luigi, one of our backend developers, sees enormous potential in these new features:
“Shopify Flow is often underestimated, but it is a real power tool. The new possibilities with the Admin API are perfect for retailers who want to automate data-intensive processes. This can be very effective, especially for larger stores.”
These enhancements underscore Shopify's commitment to providing merchants with powerful tools to optimize their business processes and focus on day-to-day operations.
Reading tip: How to use the Shopify Flow app effectively for your store.
Shopify integrates DHL labels and improves B2B functions
Another helpful feature of Shopify Winter Editions 2025 is the direct integration of DHL labels in the Shopify system. This innovation makes the shipping process much easier, as merchants can now create shipping labels for orders directly in the admin area without having to rely on external tools. The DHL label integration makes it possible to print multiple labels at the same time, which makes shipping orders faster and more efficient. However, this feature is currently only available for retailers within Germany, and a DHL branch must still be visited to drop off parcels.
Reading tip: Here we list all the tips and tricks in Shopify shipping for merchants.
In addition, the B2B experience has been further improved: online stores that focus on B2B commerce can now offer individual bundles with flexible pricing models that are tailored to the specific needs of their business customers. Furthermore, customer accounts can now be optimized through third-party apps, and Shopify Functions enable automated management of checkout processes, payments and deliveries.
As an experienced Shopify agency we're happy to help you implement the new features in your store! Contact us.
Frequently asked questions about Shopify Editions
What is Shopify Editions?
Shopify Editions is a format from Shopify that reports on Shopify updates and new features twice a year with landing pages, videos and articles.
How often are Shopify Editions published?
Shopify Editions are usually published in winter and summer.
