In a world where AI defines modern commerce, Shopify is doubling down - rolling out game-changing tools designed to empower any brand, big or small. Here's a deep dive into the AI trends you can't ignore:
1. Sidekick: Your AI Store Co‑Pilot Just Got Smarter
Originally launched in late 2024, Shopify Sidekick is now evolving into an AI-powered assistant geared toward real business impact:
-
Multi-step reasoning - Spot trends, diagnose dips ("Why did sales drop this week?"), and receive tailored recommendations
-
Voice chat & screen sharing - Speak naturally ("Launch a summer promo"), and Sidekick executes via chat or voice
-
Image generation - Need product or marketing visuals now? Sidekick can generate them in-context, saving design time
-
Global support - Available on mobile and desktop, in 20+ languages
Think of it as a virtual CMO meets data scientist, built into your dashboard - analyze, create, act - all without jumping between tools.
Read more: Shopify's New AI Tools Empower Merchants →
2. AI Store Builders... and AI-Powered Merchandising with Tellos
Shopify's new AI Store Builder is making waves in 2025 - and for good reason:
-
Prompt-driven site creation - Just describe your brand or product, and Shopify generates three ready-to-launch store designs - complete with layout, copy, and visuals
Reuters: Shopify launches AI tool that builds complete online stores from keywords →
-
Perfect for new D2C lines or rapid pivots - Whether launching a seasonal product, testing a sub-brand, or targeting a new market, this tool helps you move faster than ever
But a beautiful storefront is only half the equation. Shoppers today expect more than static pages - they want interaction, video, and real-time engagement.
That's where Tellos comes in:
-
It automatically pulls your latest social videos, uses AI to recognize products, and places shoppable videos across your site - from product pages to landing pages and collection feeds
-
No manual tagging. No complicated setup. Just post your content - Tellos AI does the rest
The result? A seamless video-first shopping experience, fully integrated with your AI-powered storefront - and designed to boost conversion rate and engagement without extra work.
3. Shopify Magic Toolkit: Your AI Swiss Army Knife
Sidekick lives on Shopify Magic - a continually evolving AI toolkit featured in the Summer '25 "Editions" update:
-
Magic Crop & Background Removal - Instant aesthetic upgrades for product visuals
-
Copywriting AI - Generate product descriptions, FAQ sections, promotional emails, even blog outlines
-
Review Summaries - Quickly understand store/app feedback without manual skimming
From imagery to messaging, Magic is helping automate the tasks that consume your time - so you can focus on strategy and growth.
Explore Shopify Magic: The Complete AI Toolkit for Merchants →
4. AI-Driven Search & Personalization: Coming Real-Time
Behind the scenes, Shopify is acquiring top AI talent like Vantage Discovery to revolutionize search on your storefront:
-
Personalized search suggestions - Experience-level discovery, inspired by Pinterest
-
Generative AI behind the scenes - Smarter, more relevant search results for shoppers
-
Outcome: Higher engagement, lower bounce rates, and improved conversion - especially for discovery-heavy stores
Business Insider: Shopify acquires Vantage Discovery to boost AI search for retailers →
5. AI for Inventory, Analytics & Workflow Optimization
Shopify is integrating AI everywhere - beyond marketing:
-
Inventory & fraud alerts via Flow automation
-
Dynamic customer segmentation for targeted marketing
-
Advanced sentiment analysis across reviews & social - enabling smarter product decisions
According to Reuters, Shopify now underpins over $9.7 billion in sales from the North American Top 2000 merchants - powered in part by Shopify Magic automation and Sidekick analytics.
Reuters: How Canada's Shopify is weaving AI magic to pull in merchants →
Why These Trends Matter to D2C Brands
-
⚡ Speed-to-market: Launch stores, promos & creative fast - no agencies required
-
🎯 Personalization: AI makes stores smarter and more relevant per shopper
-
📉 Operational efficiency: Fewer manual tasks, faster action, better margins
-
🛍️ Enhanced CX: Smarter search, better visuals, on-point content - more conversions
If you're scaling on Shopify in 2025, you can't ignore AI.
What to Do Next
-
Test Sidekick - Try natural language questions like "Why are my top products slow this week?" or "Create a promotional banner for summer"
-
Use the AI Store Builder - Launch a seasonal storefront in under 10 minutes
-
Automate visuals & copy - Use Magic to batch-create imagery, descriptions, and emails
-
Upgrade customer search - Watch Shopify's AI-search integrations roll out later this year
-
Turn content into revenue - Use Tellos to turn your videos into high-converting, AI-optimized shoppable experiences