Shopify’s AI Store Builder Simplifies Online Store Creation Using Keywords
Shopify has launched a new AI-driven tool that allows merchants to build online stores simply by entering descriptive keywords.
This AI Store Builder generates store layouts, complete with text and images, cutting the time and effort traditionally needed to design a website.
In the news release, Vanessa Lee, Shopify’s vice president of product, explained,
“Merchants can now translate a vision they have for their online store into something real much faster and without needing to code.”
She further elaborated on their aim, stating:
“As with everything we do here, we want to make the complicated easy so entrepreneurs can focus on what truly matters: growing their business and connecting with their customers.”
What New Features Are Changing The Shopify Experience?
Alongside the AI Store Builder, Shopify unveiled multiple enhancements as part of its Summer ‘25 Edition, dubbed Horizons.
The redesign of its point-of-sale (POS) app introduces smoother navigation, an improved search function, and a “ship and carry out” feature.
This option lets customers take home available items immediately while the rest is shipped later, eliminating the hassle of juggling partial purchases.
Shopify also rolled out a new Knowledge Base app designed to help merchants prepare for the rise of AI shopping assistants.
The app helps merchants shape how their store is presented during AI-driven interactions, acting like “SEO for AI conversations.”
It enables tailored responses and FAQs for agents like ChatGPT or Claude, helping businesses maintain brand consistency as shopping shifts toward conversational AI.
This allows businesses to highlight their unique selling points accurately across AI platforms.
How Shopify Is Embedding AI Throughout The Merchant Journey
Shopify’s AI strategy moves beyond basic automation, embedding intelligence across the entire merchant experience.
Horizon, the new theme architecture with built-in AI, lets sellers easily adjust store designs without technical barriers.
Merchants can create or modify headers, images, and text through intuitive drag-and-drop tools, eliminating the need for developers.
Sidekick, Shopify’s AI assistant, has received a major update with voice chat and screen sharing, allowing merchants to interact with the platform using natural speech.
Vanessa Lee shared that Sidekick’s weekly active retention has more than doubled since January, indicating growing reliance on the AI assistant.
For users like Rafaelle Champagne from Blue Bungalow, Sidekick has sped up tasks such as report building and customer segmentation dramatically, saving time on operations that once took 15–20 minutes.
Is Shopify’s AI Push A Threat To Independent Agencies And Developers
Speaking to Retail Brew, Mark William Lewis, founder of Netalico, an e-commerce agency helping brands build on Shopify, described Shopify’s broad AI rollout as a “shotgun” approach,
“Itʼs almost a shotgun approach right now. I think they’re trying to put AI into everything, and they’ll see what sticks, and what doesnʼt.”
He acknowledged these upgrades could challenge independent agencies and developers by making the platform easier for non-technical users to manage.
However, he believes Shopify’s goal is to simplify store management for ordinary users rather than disrupt the ecosystem intentionally.
Lewis suggested it remains to be seen how effective the new tools will be for merchants until they are widely adopted.
“Until it really gets into merchants’ hands, I don’t think you can know how useful it will be for them."
How AI Supports Faster Growth And Better Decision-Making
Shaun Broughton, Shopify’s managing director for APAC, described AI as more than an automation tool — a strategic partner for merchants.
He explained the company’s vision for “declarative commerce,” where merchants express goals and AI guides the best path forward.
This shifts merchants’ focus from repetitive tasks to growing their business.
Broughton highlighted Sidekick’s expanded capabilities, which include analysing multiple data sources simultaneously to diagnose issues and suggest actionable fixes.
Merchants can now create new theme blocks or refresh layouts by describing what they want, making complex design accessible to solo operators.
Shopify Prepares For A Future Of AI Shopping Assistants
Shopify’s CEO Tobias Lütke has encouraged employees to embrace AI, calling its use a “baseline expectation” within the company.
He emphasised that merchants increasingly rely on AI tools and that Shopify must remain at the forefront by integrating the best technology into its platform.
With the new AI Store Builder, enhanced Sidekick, and Horizon theme architecture, Shopify aims to reduce costs and complexity for merchants while supporting growth in a challenging economic environment.
As the platform expands AI across every aspect of the merchant experience, its success will largely depend on how well these tools serve the diverse needs of online sellers worldwide.
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