New Ecommerce Tools: August 7, 2025

Every week we publish a handpicked list of new products and services from vendors to ecommerce merchants. This installment covers AI-powered commerce platforms, embedded financial services, cross-border payment solutions, logistics optimization, marketplace incentives, and simplified transaction processes.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

Wix launches financial services for merchants. Wix has launched Wix Checking and Wix Capital to help clients manage cash flow and fund growth. Wix Checking, powered by Unit, a platform for embedded finance, gives users an integrated business checking account. By syncing automatically with Wix Payments, Wix Checking removes the need for external banking tools and manual reconciliations. Wix has also introduced Wix Capital, allowing clients to request a cash advance in exchange for a fixed fee and a percentage of future sales.

Wix

Prepping for the holidays, Walmart Marketplace offers seller incentives. Walmart Marketplace will now waive referral fees to sellers on popular items. Plus, the company is waiving peak season storage fees from October 1 through December 31 for sellers using Walmart Fulfillment Services. Now through October 1, first-time users of Multichannel (shipping) Solutions get a 30% discount. Also, WFS has expanded international transport options with the addition of two ports in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong.

BigCommerce rebrands parent company to Commerce, unifying BigCommerce, Feedonomics, and Makeswift. BigCommerce has rebranded its parent company from BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. to Commerce.com, Inc., unifying BigCommerce, Feedonomics, and Makeswift for an era of agentic AI. Commerce will focus on providing merchants with data infrastructure and intelligent storefronts. Commerce also unveiled the company’s vision for powering agentic agents, where AI acts on behalf of consumers to research, recommend, and even transact.

BigCommerce and Feedonomics deepen partnership with Google Cloud. BigCommerce and Feedonomics, a data feed platform, have announced a deepened partnership with Google Cloud. Feedonomics Surface will deliver AI-enriched product data directly to Google Merchant Center, boosting visibility across sales channels. Using Feedonomics’ new Google Cloud with Gemini features, merchants can automatically enrich product catalogs. By combining BigCommerce’s Model Context Protocol with Google’s Agent Development Kit, developers can build commerce-aware merchant agents.

Blockchain fintech OwlTing introduces OwlPay Stablecoin Checkout. OwlTing Group, a global blockchain fintech company, has launched OwlPay Stablecoin Checkout, an API-embedded stablecoin function set to go live this month. Designed for global enterprises in mobility, hospitality, ecommerce, and gaming sectors, OwlPay Stablecoin Checkout enables seamless USD to USDC conversions, allowing businesses to accept stablecoin payments and settle in USD through their own platforms or leverage the built-in feature on the user interface of the OwlPay Payment B2B tool.

OwlTing

Rakuten launches Rakuten AI. Rakuten, a Japan-based ecommerce marketplace and online services company, has launched Rakuten AI, an AI agent to enhance user experiences and streamline interactions across the Rakuten ecosystem, including shopping, lifestyle, fintech, travel, education, work, wellness, and entertainment. The initial rollout integrates Rakuten AI into Rakuten Link, a communication app for Rakuten Mobile subscribers, and offers Rakuten AI as a web app in beta. Rakuten AI is free to use in all its forms.

Octup raises $12 million for 3PL operations. Octup, a real-time AI operations platform for third-party logistics providers, has closed a $12 million seed round co-led by Shine Capital and JAL Ventures. Octup’s platform provides real-time analytics for warehouse operations, including automated billing, labor tracking, and service-level-agreement management, while also offering client-facing portals with self-service reporting capabilities. With this funding, Octup plans to accelerate AI-powered forecasting and exception management development. The company also plans to expand its presence in North America.

FlavorCloud launches Localized Market Pricing. FlavorCloud, a provider of cross-border shipping solutions, has launched Localized Market Pricing, a recommendations and analytics tool that enables Shopify sellers to display fully landed costs, including duties, taxes, shipping, and fees, as a part of SKU-level pricing. The platform can adjust pricing based on actual landed costs, allowing retailers to choose whether to absorb or pass on cost changes. Price updates are automatic, triggered by schedules or specific events.

FlavorCloud

Amazon introduces star-only ratings. Amazon has launched a simplified experience to provide feedback on sellers. Customers can now provide star ratings without (or with) written feedback. Customers will be required to select a reason before they can submit any rating below four stars. According to Amazon, the new process will help sellers collect more ratings faster and may lead to an increase in the average seller ratings.

Splitit and Antom partner on cross-border card-linked installments for merchants. Splitit, an embedded white-label platform enabling card-linked installment payments, and Antom, a provider of merchant payment and digitization services under Ant International, have announced a strategic partnership. Splitit will integrate its installment technology into Antom’s checkout experience worldwide. Customers can split purchases into monthly payments directly at checkout, using existing credit cards, streamlining cross-border commerce and international payment processing.

eBay debuts Secure Purchase checkout for vehicle transactions. eBay has announced the availability of Secure Purchase, simplifying vehicle transactions by managing payment, financing, registration, ownership transfer, and transport. Both the buyer and seller verify their identity and provide basic information about the vehicle. The buyer selects financing, transportation, protection, and insurance preferences in a few clicks. The seller uploads photos of the title, vehicle identification number, and odometer readings. Buyer and seller digitally sign the required documents, then transfer funds to initiate registration and title transfer.

AstroPay launches platform to embed global financial services. AstroPay, a digital wallet provider, has rolled out a platform allowing companies to build and launch their own global financial products using the same infrastructure that powers AstroPay’s consumer wallet. Businesses can leverage AstroPay’s connections to multiple local and international payment schemes, along with its multicurrency wallet, card issuing capabilities, and regulatory compliance framework across jurisdictions. Current support includes accounts in Brazil, Argentina, and Europe.

AstroPay

5 Ecommerce Platforms for Startups 2025

Ecommerce entrepreneurs getting started in 2025 should look for easy-to-use platforms that won’t bust the budget.

The ecommerce industry is maturing. The first online shop was likely the Boston Computer Exchange, launched in 1982. Amazon and eBay turn 30 this year.

For the most part, the technology underpinning online selling, such as displaying products or accepting payments, is standard and reliable. The difference in ecommerce platforms is not core functionality.

Bootstrapped and focused: launching an ecommerce business from the living room.

Key Elements

Entrepreneurs with limited capital and no technical help require ecommerce tools that work out of the box, grow with the business, and stay out of the way.

Thus new, bootstrapped ecommerce merchants should seek six platform characteristics, as follows:

• Easy to set up. It should be possible to launch in hours without hiring a designer or developer.

• Easy to maintain. Changing prices, updating products, and adding pages should be small tasks.

• Inexpensive or free. New entrepreneurs should invest in inventory and advertising. An ecommerce platform should be a marginal cost at worst.

• Comprehensive. The platform should perform all ecommerce functions with the stability described above.

• Able to scale. As it grows, a shop will need more features and throughput; the platform should be viable through a few million in annual sales.

• Easy to market. New stores depend on advertising. This means having good landing pages, email capture forms, and discount features such as coupon codes. Organic traffic from search engines and generative AI platforms is beyond reach, so startups require features that turn paid clicks into customers.

5 Platforms

No list of ecommerce platforms makes everyone happy. It’s especially true for the makers of the many capable software solutions not mentioned below. But here are my five recommendations for new ecommerce stores.

Shopify

Shopify, the leading industry platform, is built for growth. The Basic plan is $39.99 per month or $359 annually, plus transaction fees. That investment delivers a fully fledged online store with unlimited products, loads of payment integrations, and access to the platform’s massive app ecosystem.

It is reasonable to have a Shopify store up and running in less than an hour that can easily scale to the enterprise level.

Some parts of the platform may be confusing for a novice, but Shopify works for most ecommerce businesses.

Square Online

Ecommerce businesses sometimes originate from in-person experiences with point-of-sale software. This might be a business that sells handmade jewelry at local art shows, has an Etsy shop, and wants its own ecommerce site. Why not pick a platform from a supplier you already work with?

The Square Online platform is low-cost to start (just transaction fees) and integrates directly with Square’s POS system. The service is built on the Weebly platform, which Square acquired in 2018, and is simple to use and understand.

Ecwid by Lightspeed

The term “ecommerce platform” evolved with the software it described. Years ago, the industry called these tools “shopping carts,” and many could bolt on to just about any website someone had built.

Ecwid is both a freestanding platform and a bolt-on to an existing site, shopping cart style. So, the gardening blog turned organic seed seller doesn’t require a new website; it needs only to add Ecwid. The same is true for the social influencer selling directly from a profile page.

The Ecwid add-on is free for five products and remains reasonably priced as a store scales.

Wix and Squarespace

Drag-and-drop editors make it easy for some of the least technical ecommerce operators to produce functional and attractive online stores.

My final two recommended ecommerce platforms — Wix and Squarespace — are head-to-head competitors known for remarkable ease of use and clean website designs.

These platforms appeal to startup founders who want to prioritize branding, design, and speed to market without hiring developers. Ecommerce functionality is built in, and templates come optimized for mobile and desktop, although neither platform is ideal for scaling.

Both cost less than $30 per month to start.

Success

Every new, bootstrapped ecommerce entrepreneur would love to win the Google lottery and have hundreds of eager shoppers flood in, but organic search is not a viable way to drive site traffic to a new store.

A new shop, with relatively thin content, cannot compete for transactional intent keyword phrases against long-established ecommerce sellers.

Regardless of the ecommerce platform, success will come from paid or at least active customer acquisition.

New Ecommerce Tools: July 30, 2025

This week’s rundown of new products and services for merchants includes rollouts for cryptocurrencies, agent-based analytics, merchant financing, AI-powered shopping assistants, reviews, and fraud prevention.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

PayPal launches Pay With Crypto, expanding into digital currencies. PayPal has launched Pay with Crypto to simplify cross-border commerce by leveraging cryptocurrencies and digital wallets, while reducing transaction fees. Pay with Crypto offers the ability to pay with more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, USDT, XRP, BNB, Solana, and USDC, and digital wallets including Coinbase, OKX, Binance, Kraken, Phantom, MetaMask, and Exodus. The news follows the announcement of PayPal World, a partnership bringing together five of the world’s largest digital wallets.

PayPal World

Square launches Cash Advance in the U.K. Square‘s new Cash Advance provides U.K. businesses with access to loans. Eligible Square businesses can apply in a few clicks. Once funded, Square automatically deducts a percentage of every card sale until the balance is zero. Funding is for business purposes only.

Triple Whale launches Moby, an agentic system for commerce. Triple Whale, an analytics platform, has launched Moby, an agentic system to optimize commerce. Moby includes Chat, with real-time business context, and autonomous agents that analyze complex data and deliver step-by-step recommendations to optimize spend, efficiency, and performance. Moby’s analysis derives from brands’ transaction data on Triple Whale.

Constructor’s AI Shopping Agent now available in AWS Marketplace. Constructor, an AI-powered search and product discovery platform for ecommerce, has announced the availability of its AI Shopping Agent in the new AI Agents and Tools category of AWS Marketplace. Merchants can access AWS Marketplace to discover and deploy AI agent solutions, including Constructor’s conversational commerce and product discovery tools. According to Constructor, AI Shopping Agent helps ecommerce companies improve search experiences, supporting full-sentence and natural language queries.

Constructor

Chrome adds AI-powered store reviews. Google is introducing store reviews to Chrome in the U.S. to make online shopping safer and more efficient. The feature uses data from Google Shopping and popular review sites to provide consumers with insights when shopping online. Users click the icon to the left of the web address to access an AI-generated summary of reviews. The description will cover topics such as customer service, product quality, shipping, pricing, and returns.

PayPal integrates with Wix Payments to provide unified payments for merchants. Wix has expanded its partnership with PayPal to include it in the Wix Payments platform. Merchants can connect their PayPal Business account and manage transactions from a single dashboard alongside Wix Payments activity. The setup consolidates reporting, chargebacks, and payouts, helping merchants streamline day-to-day operations and deliver flexible payment options to customers. Merchants also gain access to PayPal’s broader suite of features, including Pay Later and Venmo.

PCI Pal launches Fraud Management Suite. PCI Pal, a provider of secure payment tools, has launched Fraud Management Suite, with AI-powered risk scoring for customer engagements. Designed to protect against card-not-present fraud, the capability delivers real-time risk insights to agents and AI bots before collecting a payment. The Fraud Management Suite helps organizations respond to evolving threats with real-time AI-powered risk scoring, adaptive authentication (including 3D Secure and biometric wallet support), and advanced analytics and chargeback defense tools.

Interpublic launches Agentic Systems for Commerce to help brands. Interpublic Group, an advertising and marketing services agency, has launched Agentic Systems for Commerce to help brands manage complex ecosystems. ASC leverages Interpublic’s agentic system and is powered by data from Intelligence Node, its transaction data platform. ASC captures data signals for every product and its competitors, generating actionable intelligence into consumer searches, digital shelf position, product page content, pricing, and inventory levels.

Interpublic

Elavon and WooCommerce expand payments partnership to North America. Elavon, a payments provider owned by U.S. Bank, and WooCommerce are expanding their payments partnership to North America. For the past year, the companies have delivered online payment services in Europe. Installing the Elavon extension from the WooCommerce Marketplace gives North America SMB merchants instant access to Elavon’s payment services. Elavon will support merchants using the extension.

Doss acquires Shopify-based inventory platform Genie. Doss, an AI-native operations platform, has acquired Genie, an inventory management tool for Shopify merchants. Genie empowers more than 300 ecommerce brands to streamline operations, processing orders across over 20,000 suppliers and enabling merchants to manage inventory and reorder stock in minutes. Per Doss, the move aims to deliver composable, real-time ERP solutions, building on its $18 million Series A funding round and Genie’s $5.8 million seed round.

USPS offers free, box-free returns. The U.S. Postal Service is providing polybags at participating locations for eligible return items, eliminating the need for a shipping box or label. According to the USPS, the polybagged items will enter the mailstream directly without additional packaging, fees, or consolidation. The bags are part of USPS’s Packageless Returns capabilities for companies that want to improve the return experience for their customers, and for residential customer convenience.

Google launches Virtual Try-On feature. Google has launched a Virtual Try-On feature in the U.S., letting shoppers simulate trying on styles from the billions of apparel items in its Shopping Graph across Search, Google Shopping, and Google Images. Google has also upgraded its price alerts. When U.S. shoppers click “track price” to set an alert for a product, they can now specify preferred size and color, as well as the payment method.

Google’s Virtual Try-On

New Ecommerce Tools: July 23, 2025

Every week we publish a handpicked list of new products and services from vendors to ecommerce merchants. This installment includes updates on affiliate marketing, AI agents, marketplace platforms, ad networks, WordPress features, and recurring payments.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

Amazon debuts AWS Marketplace category to simplify AI agent adoption. Amazon Web Services has unveiled “AI Agents and Tools” in AWS Marketplace, which allows customers to discover, buy, deploy, and manage AI tools from leading providers. According to Amazon, customers using AI Agents and Tools gain access to ready-to-integrate solutions for developing AI strategies with services that specialize in building, maintaining, and scaling agents.

AWS Marketplace

Rokt acquires Canal to bolster ecommerce offering. Rokt, an ecommerce post-purchase platform, is acquiring the marketplace platform Canal. According to Rokt, the acquisition enables Rokt’s ecommerce partners to broaden their product range by tapping into a curated network of third-party inventory from direct-to-consumer brands, without taking on production, logistics, or inventory management. Rokt says its acquisition enables brands to acquire customers through a premium, performance-driven distribution channel — an extension of Rokt Ads — by presenting their products in shoppable, contextually relevant formats during the ecommerce transaction.

Mirakl and Criteo partner on retail media for third-party sellers. Criteo, an AI-powered advertising platform for brands, retailers, and media owners, has integrated with Mirakl ads, a retail media solution. The partnership intends to serve third-party sellers and mid-to-long-tail advertisers seeking to invest in retail media but are outside the usual sales and media management channels. The integration provides advertisers with self-service tools and automated campaign management, enabling them to scale their retail media efforts across multiple marketplace platforms.

Cimulate launches CommerceGPT, an AI-native context engine. Cimulate has introduced CommerceGPT, an AI-native platform built for agentic commerce. CommerceGPT is a product discovery infrastructure, built for the shift from human to agentic shopping experiences. The launch also introduces the Cimulate MCP Server, which supports an emergent interface for agent-to-agent commerce. Merchants can build agents that “talk” to answer engine agents and can get products surfaced in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude.

Cimulate

2Performant launches BusinessLeague app on Shopify for affiliate marketing. 2Performant, an affiliate marketing platform, has launched its BusinessLeague app on the Shopify App Store to enable affiliate program integration for Shopify merchants across Europe. According to 2Performant, store owners can launch an affiliate program through BusinessLeague with just a few clicks. The platform connects merchants with performance-based marketers through a gamified affiliate program. Merchants gain access to key performance indicators, including clicks, sales, and conversion rates, with user leaderboards helping them identify effective growth partners.

Payabl expands platform with SEPA direct debit for businesses. Payabl, a U.K.-based financial technology company, has launched SEPA direct debit capabilities within its payment services for businesses. According to Payabl, the launch will facilitate the automatic collection of recurring euro payments for companies operating across the 36 countries of the Single Euro Payment Area. The functionality allows merchants to accept recurring payments from customers through Payabl’s gateway. The SEPA direct debit service also offers the ability to automate outgoing payments, including real-time notifications and approval workflows, per Payabl.

Pietra launches AI Assistants for ecommerce businesses. Pietra, an ecommerce operations platform, has launched AI Assistants, an operating system for entrepreneurs. According to Pietra, AI Assistance (i) automates sourcing, fulfillment, marketing, analytics and more, (ii) generates brand names, logos, packaging, product designs, ads, and social content, (iii) provides tailored go-to-market strategies, ads campaigns, influencer outreach, marketing calendars, and an AI coach to guide growth accross Amazon, Shopify, and TikTok Shop.

Pietra

Amazon adds Fee Explainer tool. Amazon has launched a Fee Explainer tool to help merchants better understand charges to their selling accounts. For each fee type, the tool provides a definition, relevant attributes or variables, and the calculation to explain the amount. The tool covers the following fee types: subscription, referral, variable closing, fixed closing, refund administration, customer return, high-return rate processing, removal, and disposal. Amazon plans to add explainers for other fee types this year.

Edge Conversion releases custom AI systems for small businesses. Edge Conversion, an AI automation agency, has released a suite of AI systems to simplify operations for service-based and online businesses. The systems automate critical functions, such as lead generation, customer communication, and proposal creation. When a lead responds, AI-driven response systems instantly follow up to keep the conversation going. When a lead is ready to buy, dynamic proposal generators deliver client-ready quotes. Edge Conversion also offers systems for intake, onboarding, hiring, and customer-management optimization.

WP Engine launches AI toolkit for WordPress. WP Engine, a provider of tools for WordPress sites, has launched an AI toolkit. According to WP Engine, the toolkit makes advanced AI capabilities accessible to the WordPress community at scale, featuring smart search, recommendations, and a managed vector database with an open-source chatbot framework. Merchants can activate the toolkit’s features without coding, technical knowledge, or third-party tools.

Vivid and Adyen enable instant payments for SMBs in Europe. Adyen, a payment processing platform, and Vivid, a digital banking service, are launching a tool for small to medium-sized businesses in the E.U. to accept card payments (online and point of sale) and instantly access the funds. Vivid and Adyen aim to streamline the payment process for SMBs, catering to the demand for swift, flexible payment solutions.

Adyen

New Ecommerce Tools: July 17, 2025

Every week we publish a handpicked list of new products and services from vendors to ecommerce merchants. This installment includes updates on AI-powered shopping assistants, email and SMS marketing tools, ad management platforms, automated tax solutions, and last-mile delivery networks.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

Genus AI launches Sage, an AI growth agent for ecommerce brands. Genus AI, a developer of AI tools for D2C brands, has launched Sage, an AI growth agent to help merchants scale across digital channels. Available for Shopify and Meta platforms, Sage is an AI agent that unifies creative generation, product catalog management, digital campaigns, customer insights, and order data. According to Genus AI, Sage can enhance product catalogs, optimize campaigns, and provide real-time visibility into the customer lifecycle.

Genus AI – Sage

Infobip brings voice calling to WhatsApp Business users. Infobip, a cloud communications platform for connected experiences across the customer journey, has launched WhatsApp Business Calling, enabling businesses to make and receive voice calls via WhatsApp. Users can start calls directly from WhatsApp chats, interactive messages, or deep links embedded in websites and apps. Integration with Infobip Conversations, the company’s cloud contact center platform, enables customer support agents to switch from chat to voice while maintaining a unified conversation history and context.

Xnurta expands full-funnel Amazon Ads support to five markets. Xnurta, an agentic AI-powered ad management platform for brands, has announced its continued international expansion with full-funnel support now live in Poland, Belgium, Sweden, Egypt, and South Africa. Xnurta equips advertisers in these five countries with advanced automation, performance insights, and AI-assisted campaign management across Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and Amazon Demand-Side Platform (DSP). Xnurta’s latest expansion brings its presence to nearly all of Amazon’s 23 international marketplaces.

Klaviyo introduces an AI shopping assistant. Klaviyo, an email and SMS marketing platform for B2C sellers, has launched its Conversational AI Agent to help brands deliver personalized, always-on support using real-time session context, storefront knowledge, and marketing insights, all powered by the Klaviyo Data Platform. Built into Customer Hub, Klaviyo’s Conversational AI Agent trains quickly using data from a brand’s storefront, including its product catalog and FAQs. The agent guides shoppers from discovery to purchase by answering common questions and recommending products.

Klaviyo

Avalara embeds AI-powered assistant into tax research. Avalara, a platform for tax compliance automation, has launched Avi, a generative AI assistant embedded within Avalara Tax Research. According to Avalara, Avi for Tax Research can (i) quickly obtain precise sales tax rates tailored to specific street addresses, (ii) instantly check the tax status of products and services through straightforward queries, and (iii) access real-time guidance that supports defensible tax positions and enables proactive adaptation to evolving tax regulations.

New Gen unveils AI-native storefronts for agentic commerce. New Gen, a company building infrastructure for the AI internet, now enables agentic commerce, powering secure, AI-initiated transactions through intelligent storefronts and embedded payment flows. The platform allows AI agents to quickly and securely check out from merchant sites across chat, voice, and (soon) through emerging agent-driven channels. New Gen leverages trusted payments infrastructure from Visa and is among the first collaborators in the Visa Intelligent Commerce sandbox.

UniUni simplifies ecommerce shipping for Canada-based sellers. UniUni, a last-mile delivery company, has announced the launch of Small Business, a system of local drop-off and service points to simplify shipping for Canada-based sellers. Through UniUni Small Business, merchants gain access to a full-stack domestic and cross-border shipping platform that includes broad carrier partnerships, an in-house last-mile delivery network, real-time tracking and automation tools, and an all-in-one dashboard for managing shipments. UniUni Small Business is now available in Toronto.

UniUni Small Business

Ordoro launches branded tracking pages for ecommerce. Ordoro, a provider of ecommerce logistics and inventory management tools, has launched Branded Tracking Pages to help merchants transform generic shipping updates into branded touchpoints. The feature provides ecommerce businesses a tracking page (already visited by customers) to reinforce their brand, answer common questions, and drive repeat purchases. Branded Tracking Pages are included with Shipping Premium.

Oro Inc. launches OroPay, a unified payment solution for B2B commerce. Oro Inc., a developer of open-source B2B digital commerce tools, has launched OroPay, an integrated payment platform for OroCommerce, its ecommerce platform. OroPay unifies invoicing, payments, ERP connectivity, and commerce. Powered by Global Payments, a technology provider, OroPay supports Level 2 and Level 3 credit card processing, dramatically lowering fees for high-value B2B transactions. Customers also benefit from advanced fraud protection, SCA/PSD2 compliance, tokenization, and support for local and global payment methods.

Clearco launches Rolling Funding for ecommerce brands. Clearco, a lender to ecommerce companies, has announced the launch of Rolling Funding, a continuous loan for D2C brands. Customer merchants pay weekly and can now automatically increase their available debt limit in real-time, dollar for dollar. This eliminates the need to submit new funding applications, providing founders and finance teams with real-time visibility into available and projected capacity through their Clearco dashboard.

Privy acquires Emotive to launch a unified email-SMS platform. Privy, an ecommerce marketing automation provider, has acquired Emotive, an SMS platform. The acquisition enables Privy to offer a unified platform where merchants can manage email campaigns, SMS automation, and on-site pop-ups from one place. Privy says it will soon roll out real-time 1:1 conversation capabilities and a slate of new features, including advanced marketing automations, more zero-party data collection options, and improved third-party integrations.

Privy

New Ecommerce Tools: July 10, 2025

Every Thursday we handpick and publish a list of new products and services from vendors to ecommerce merchants. This installment includes updates on multilingual messaging, loyalty programs, global D2C and B2B storefronts, AI-powered shopping assistants, ecommerce payments, and shipping.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

Babeltext launches multilingual messaging for Shopify merchants. Babeltext, an AI-powered multilingual message platform, has launched its integration with Shopify, enabling merchants in Australia, the U.S., and the U.K. to provide real-time customer support across 195 languages and multiple messaging channels. With its Shopify API and omnichannel messaging engine, Babeltext enables merchants to communicate instantly with customers in their preferred language via web chat, SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Discord — all from a single dashboard.

Babeltext

Alibaba.com and Wix announce strategic partnership. Alibaba.com, a global B2B marketplace, and Wix, the website builder platform, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at empowering entrepreneurs, new businesses, and SMBs. This strategic collaboration will enable Wix merchants to expand their global wholesale capabilities through Alibaba.com while providing Alibaba merchants the opportunity to establish robust D2C and B2B storefronts powered by Wix’s commerce infrastructure. The platforms collectively facilitate global trade across over 200 countries and regions.

Productsup launches Google Comparison Shopping Services extension. Productsup, an enterprise feed management and syndication company, has launched a comparison shopping service add-on to help brands and retailers with Google Shopping campaigns. According to Productsup, the add-on enables businesses to manage campaigns, optimize product content, and drive more qualified traffic from a single, centralized solution. Productsup’s highlight feature, Keyword CSS, dynamically adjusts Shopping ad URLs based on the shopper’s search query and directs them to merchant-branded landing pages tailored to the query intent.

Alby introduces capabilities for AI shopping assistants. Alby, an AI shopping agent for ecommerce brands, has announced four tools — Product Advisor, Playbooks, In-Session Context, and Recommendations — to guide shoppers. According to Alby, (i) Product Advisor transforms product discovery into a conversational, human-like exchange, (ii) Playbooks enables brands to coach an AI agent using simple, natural-language instructions, (iii) In-Session Context enables the AI agent to remember what shoppers have already browsed, clicked, or searched during their session, and (iv) Recommendations enables contextual product suggestions to assist shoppers.

Alby

eBay updates tracking to reduce claims and improve customer experience. eBay has redesigned the tracking experience across Seller Hub and the buyer shipment flow. Seller Hub now offers a more consistent and intuitive tracking status visualization, such as on the View Order page, making it easier to manage shipments. Buyers view all deliveries for an order in a single, comprehensive view, including separate tracking for both outbound and return items. For delayed deliveries, buyers see a clearer status update to reduce uncertainty.

Meta launches enhanced marketing messages. Meta is introducing marketing messages on Messenger to help businesses re-engage and retain customers through chat. Businesses can (i) initiate promotional messages to people who have subscribed to receive them, and keep conversations going, (ii) add subscribers by leveraging existing CRM lists, custom audience lists, or ads that click to Messenger, and (iii) write messages for each customer, or broadcast one message to everyone. Down-funnel measurement helps businesses understand their results and inform their marketing strategy.

Talon.One secures $135 million for enterprise loyalty programs. Talon.One, an enterprise loyalty and promotion platform, has announced a $135 million funding round to deliver AI-powered intelligence and predictive insights. Participating investors include Silversmith Capital Partners, Meritech Capital, and existing investor CRV. With a headless architecture and intuitive Rule Engine, Talon.One says its loyalty and promotion software enables marketing and product teams to launch and manage any incentive through a unified system. Partners include Braze (an email and engagement platform) and Shopify.

Talon.One

Amazon Q Business launches customized responses. Amazon Q Business, a generative AI-powered assistant for finding information at work, has introduced response customization for Q Business applications, enabling organizations to tailor how their Q Business applications generate and format responses to user queries. With response customization, companies can provide instructions for identity, tone, and output style when configuring Q Business applications. This customizes the chat persona, communication formality, response length, and detail to match specific needs, per Amazon.

Finix launches WooCommerce plugin to simplify ecommerce payments. Finix, a payment processor for online and physical businesses, has launched its plugin for WooCommerce to accept credit and debit cards, ACH transfers, and Apple Pay. The plugin enables merchants to manage disputes, refunds, and ACH returns with built-in webhook support and real-time automation. Merchants can access interchange-plus pricing and get next-day deposits or same-day payouts.

Netcore Cloud launches Insights Agent for real-time marketing metrics. Netcore Cloud, a provider of AI-powered marketing automation and customer engagement, has launched Insights Agent, a marketing analytics agent that delivers campaign feedback instantly. According to Netcore Cloud, Insights Agent trains on marketing campaign data and contextual behaviors across email, WhatsApp, SMS, and push notifications. With AI-personalized recommendations, cross-channel intelligence, and instant access in Netcore’s UI, Insights Agent can reduce cognitive overload, reclaim valuable time, and enhance ROI across campaigns, per the company.

ShipStation launches features to optimize fulfillment operations. ShipStation, an ecommerce shipping platform, has launched four major feature updates to its logistics suite: Automated Rate Shopping, Returns and Exchanges, Analytics and Inventory, and Warehouse Management. Automated Rate Shopping allows businesses to find the most cost-effective and efficient delivery options without manual effort. The Returns and Exchanges update includes a branded customer returns portal and return management tools. Analytics includes seven new reporting dashboards. Inventory and Warehouse Management includes forecasting tools and lot tracking.

ShipStation

New Ecommerce Tools: July 3, 2025

Every week we select and publish a rundown of new products and services from vendors to ecommerce merchants. This installment includes updates on AI-powered storefronts, B2B payments, generative AI content, email marketing, stablecoin payments, reverse logistics, and product information management.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

Adobe Commerce releases two product offerings. Adobe has announced two new product offerings to help brands deliver personalized shopping journeys. Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service is a full-stack, cloud-native ecommerce platform. It enables brands to create global, multi-brand B2B and B2C storefronts, with genAI-powered content creation and streamlined digital asset management. Adobe Commerce Optimizer is a headless storefront that empowers brands to upgrade the front end of their ecommerce sites while allowing the backend system to remain unchanged.

Adobe Commerce

Mirakl launches connector for Shopify. Mirakl, a provider of ecommerce software, is releasing Mirakl Platform Connector for Shopify, designed to accelerate marketplace deployment through pre-built synchronization of taxonomy, products, offers, sellers, and orders. The connector syncs critical marketplace operations, with features including a built-in checkout module, out-of-the-box technical integration, and support for themes and headless storefronts. Per Mirakl, businesses can benefit from standardized and guided integration processes, automated product catalog onboarding, streamlined order management, dedicated technical support, and real-time synchronization of operations.

Balance and Alibaba.com partner on flexible B2B payments for U.S. SMBs. Balance, an AI-powered financial infrastructure platform for B2B commerce, has launched “Pay Later for Business” on Alibaba.com. The embedded financing tool gives U.S. small and medium-sized businesses greater purchasing power and more control over how and when they pay. Alibaba.com’s U.S. business users now have the option to access instant credit at checkout. This BNPL feature is powered by Balance’s AI risk infrastructure with real-time credit management.

Feedonomics and BigCommerce team up with Perplexity for AI product search. Feedonomics, a data feed management platform, and BigCommerce have announced that their customers have access to Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, to optimize visibility and relevance in search results. Feedonomics now provides Perplexity with pre-optimized, structured product data, ensuring that the LLM understands and recognizes merchants’ products, leading to search results that favor the brand.

Feedonomics

Bolt launches Connect for marketplace onboarding and support for stablecoin payments. Bolt, a checkout, identity, and payments platform, has announced Connect to help marketplaces onboard merchants. Bolt Connect gives marketplace operators a single integration to support one-click merchant onboarding, built-in compliance workflows, and low-fee or no-fee payouts. With Bolt managing the infrastructure, marketplaces can grow efficiently while controlling their brand experience and business model. Bolt also announced support for stablecoin payments, giving merchants and shoppers enhanced flexibility through new digital payment infrastructure.

Akeneo joins Shopify’s partner program, providing product content solutions. Akeneo, a provider of product information management tools, is now a Premier Partner of Shopify. Akeneo helps brands, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers centralize, enrich, and optimize product content with AI tools, while Shopify provides a composable infrastructure for high-performing digital storefronts. With the partnership, Akeneo has launched its App for Shopify, allowing merchants to connect Akeneo’s PIM to Shopify storefronts, eliminating manual data entry by automating the syndication of localized product data.

Omnisend launches AI-powered suite for ecommerce email marketing. Omnisend, an email and SMS marketing platform for ecommerce brands, has launched a suite of AI-powered tools. The AI Segment Builder lets marketers describe audiences in plain language and instantly generate precise segments. New AI content tools include generators for subject lines and preheaders as well as direct copywriting — all in multiple languages, using previous campaign insights, and the brand’s tone of voice. The new Personalized Product Recommender suggests products tailored to each customer’s browsing behavior.

Omnisend

Amazon expands Prime delivery to thousands of small towns and rural areas. Amazon is expanding Same-Day and Next-Day delivery to over 4,000 small U.S. cities, towns, and rural communities by the end of 2025. Additionally, Amazon is investing over $4 billion to triple the size of its delivery network by 2026, with a focus on small towns and rural communities across the U.S. Customers can see whether their area has Same-Day Delivery by visiting Amazon.com/samedaystore and browsing by category, price point, and retail store.

Geodis unveils two complementary returns tools. Geodis, a global logistics provider, has launched two returns tools: workflow automation and management. The returns workflow automation module enables the end consumer to create a shipping label to initiate the return or exchange without requiring the shipper’s involvement. The returns management module optimizes the reverse logistics process inside the warehouse. Geodis integrates with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, and other ecommerce platforms.

Tulip AI debuts for personalized customer engagement. Tulip, a cloud-based retail customer engagement platform, has launched a suite of AI tools to create stronger customer experiences. Tulip AI acts as a virtual assistant, streamlining daily tasks and enabling more meaningful customer connections at scale, including intelligent message writing, instant profile summaries, customer search, and segmentation, according to Tulip.

Klaviyo launches AI-powered platform enhancements for omnichannel marketing. Klaviyo has announced AI-powered platform enhancements. Omnichannel Campaign Builder helps plan, launch, and measure complex, multi-day campaigns across email, SMS/RCS, push, and WhatsApp. Channel Affinity automatically learns customer preferences, then delivers messages where and when they’re most likely to convert. Multi-Touch Attribution provides real-time visibility into what’s driving revenue.

Klaviyo

New Ecommerce Tools: June 26, 2025

This installment of our weekly rundown of new products and services for merchants includes rollouts for video, cross-border payments, agentic commerce, shipping management, point-of-sale systems, live video shopping, ecommerce platforms, reverse logistics, and post-purchase upselling.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

Payabl partners with PrestaShop to optimize ecommerce payments. Payabl, a fintech provider, has integrated with PrestaShop, an open-source ecommerce platform, to optimize customer payments for merchants. The plugin enables PrestaShop users to connect to Payabl’s infrastructure, providing sellers access to over 300 local payment methods, multi-currency support, fraud prevention, and real-time reporting. PrestaShop’s 250,000 merchants can connect to Payabl’s technology and offer customers an optimal, secure, and scalable checkout experience, according to Payabl.

PrestaShop

Yep AI launches sales agent on Shopify app store. Yep AI, a chatbot provider, has launched its sales agent plugin on the Shopify app store. Yep AI’s chatbot delivers contextual, proactive engagement to help merchants convert visitors. Yep states that its AI sales agent acts like a trained in-store associate, analyzing browsing behavior, identifying intent signals, and providing personalized recommendations in real-time.

CorrelLink launches ecommerce shipping management platform. CorrelLink, an Australia-based software developer, has launched Shipperfy, a shipping management platform, to streamline order management across eBay, Amazon, Shopify, and other marketplaces, eliminating the need to switch between multiple systems to process shipments. The platform connects with merchants’ existing carrier accounts and displays shipping quotes from multiple providers on a single screen. Merchants can generate shipping labels, automatically notify sales channels when orders ship, generate order invoices, and create packing slips.

Invideo launches v4.0 update for product videos at scale. Invideo, an AI video creation platform, has launched its v4.0 update, enabling users to clone themselves or their products to generate videos. Users record a short video to create a lifelike digital version of themselves to unlock video creation in 50-plus languages, formats, and platforms. Users (i) paste a product link or upload photos, (ii) generate ad-ready visuals of that item in multiple real-world contexts, and (iii) choose from a library of actors to front the videos.

Invideo

Shopware launches Agentic Commerce platform. Shopware, a Germany-based open-source ecommerce platform, has introduced Agentic Commerce and additional AI-driven tools for its expansion into B2B. Agentic Commerce enables intelligent agents to make decisions, shortening the sales cycle from quote to purchase. Shopware’s additional AI tools include a chat-based Copilot, an AI assistant for managing routine tasks, and an image editor for placing products into campaigns. With the new offerings, Shopware aims to help merchants increase revenue, lower integration costs, and create more differentiated shopping experiences.

Mollie launches Tap for in-person payments. Mollie, a financial technology company based in Amsterdam, has introduced Tap, a payment terminal to facilitate contactless payments. Tap operates on the Android platform and lets customers make payments by tapping their card or smartphone against it. The integration of Tap into Mollie’s platform allows businesses to manage both online and offline transactions from a unified dashboard. Tap is available in the Netherlands, with plans to enter Belgium, Germany, and Austria.

Bambuser partners with Alibaba Cloud to bring live video shopping to China. Bambuser, a video commerce provider, has partnered with Alibaba Cloud, a division of Alibaba Group, to bring its shoppable video tools to the China market. Alibaba Cloud’s customers can leverage its full suite of video commerce products, including Digital Clienteling, Live Video Shopping, Shoppable Videos, and Chat, providing more control and autonomy while addressing the needs in China.

Bambuser

DHL eCommerce UK expands partnership with ZigZag for international returns. DHL eCommerce UK is expanding its collaboration with ZigZag, a global returns management platform. According to ZigZag, the enhanced partnership will simplify international returns for consumers while helping retailers recoup costs from export duties paid on returned goods. ZigZag connects retailers to over 200 global warehouses and 1,500 carrier services in 170 countries.

Unbound Commerce and Znode partner for B2B app development. Unbound Commerce, a custom app development provider, has signed a partnership agreement with Znode, a B2B ecommerce platform. Znode’s B2B functionality enables management of customer-specific catalogs, multiple web storefronts, workflow approvals, complex pricing, product types, and quote management. According to Unbound Commerce, the partnership enables Znode B2B customers to extend their websites into apps.

Nosto launches Post-Purchase Upsell for Shopify’s checkout. Nosto, a commerce experience platform, has launched Post-Purchase Upsell for Shopify merchants. Nosto utilizes real-time shopper data, including affinities, browsing and purchase history, and current cart context, to deliver targeted product offers. The new module enables Shopify sellers to implement targeted product offers the moment a shopper completes a transaction, appearing on a new post-purchase page that sits between the checkout and thank you pages.

Barrett Distribution Centers and Two Boxes partner on reverse logistics. Barrett Distribution Centers, a third-party logistics provider, has partnered with Two Boxes, a reverse logistics technology platform, to deliver flexible returns for modern ecommerce brands. Barrett says the need for a more streamlined process to manage inspections has grown as return processes have become more complex. Barret selected Two Boxes for its user experience, seamless integration with platforms such as Shopify and Loop Returns, and intuitive design for warehouse operators.

Two Boxes

New Ecommerce Tools: June 19, 2025

Every week we publish a handpicked list of new products and services from vendors to ecommerce merchants. This installment includes updates on stablecoins, chargebacks, live streaming, digital ad campaigns, cross-border payments, customer experience management, and open box programs.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

ShipBob debuts zone skipping in the U.S. ShipBob, an ecommerce and omnichannel fulfillment platform for SMBs, has announced the launch of zone skipping in the U.S., with integrated tracking through its logistics network. With zone skipping, ShipBob can transport shipments in dedicated trucks to regions and then utilize carrier partners for last-mile delivery. ShipBob states that it reduces transit times for these deliveries by one full day. ShipBob has also launched TrackBob, an integrated, time-stamped tracking page.

ShipBob

Chargeflow launches automated chargebacks for WooCommerce. Chargeflow, a chargeback platform, has launched its native app in the WooCommerce Marketplace. WooCommerce merchants can use Chargeflow to automate chargeback cycles from initial disputes to evidence collection and representation. Chargeflow Alerts enable merchants to deflect disputes at the earliest stage with a network collaboration powered by Visa and Mastercard. Chargeflow Automation leverages generative AI and machine learning to create compelling dispute evidence automatically. And Chargeflow Insights delivers post-transaction analytics.

Adobe updates products for customer personalization. Adobe has introduced products to deliver personalized customer experiences at scale. GenStudio has new generative AI capabilities for short-form video ads and display ad campaigns. Firefly Services now offers APIs for creating short-form video, 3D imagery, and digital avatars. LLM Optimizer helps businesses improve response rankings on AI-powered browsers and chat services. Agentic AI capabilities are now live.

PayPal launches Storefront Ads for merchants. PayPal is expanding its digital advertising options with the launch of Storefront Ads, transforming ad space on the open web into a functional storefront. The PayPal transaction graph, a repository of cross-merchant purchase signals, powers Storefront Ads. By combining checkout through PayPal and Venmo’s payment flow with a storefront that lives inside the ad, shoppers do not have to leave the content.

PayPal Storefront Ads

Intuit Mailchimp unveils new tools and integrations for customer data. Intuit Mailchimp has announced a suite of tools and integrations to help marketers and SMBs leverage customer data. Enhanced integrations with Meta, TikTok, Google, Snapchat, and LinkedIn help marketers bring lead information into Mailchimp for hyper-personalized campaigns. Mailchimp offers more than 100 new pop-up form templates. Its Metrics Visualizer provides over 40 performance datapoints across email and SMS channels.

eBay U.K. launches live-streaming and open box program. eBay U.K. has launched Live, a platform that offers real-time, interactive auctions, connecting fans directly with business sellers. Currently in beta, eBay Live will soon invite applications in select categories. eBay U.K. has also launched a new certified open box program to enhance open box listings in Electronics & Home Improvement, enabling sellers to highlight those listings with the Certified Open Box badge.

Shopify introduces USDC for borderless payments. Shopify is partnering with Coinbase and Stripe on enabling secure payments with USD Coin (USDC), a regulated stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. Merchants can accept USDC from customers worldwide on the Base network, utilizing existing payment and order fulfillment processes. Customers can pay with USDC on Base from hundreds of supported crypto wallets, on guest checkout, and with Shop Pay. Merchants will receive their local currency by default, with no foreign transaction or exchange fees.

USDC on Shopify

Fermàt raises $45 million for AI-powered commerce. Fermàt, an AI-native commerce platform for brands, has raised $45 million in a funding round led by VMG Partners, with participation from existing backers QED Investors, Greylock, Bain Capital Ventures, and Courtside Ventures. Fermàt says the investment will accelerate its mission to help enterprise brands and agency partners prepare for agentic commerce.

TerraPay and Whalet partner on cross-border payments for SMEs. TerraPay, a global money movement company, has partnered with Whalet, a payment platform, to enable cross-border payouts worldwide. The collaboration aims to enhance payment efficiency for Whalet’s core customer base, which includes cross-border sellers from the Asia-Pacific region. Whalet supports SMBs by providing one-click store setup, pay-ins, payouts, global accounts, currency exchange, and card issuance. By integrating TerraPay’s technology, Whalet can streamline transactions, reduce settlement complexities, and improve operational efficiencies.

European fintech Paynt acquires E-xact Transactions for North American expansion. Paynt, a Europe-based payment technology company, has announced its acquisition of Canadian firm E-xact Transactions. According to Paynt, the acquisition of E-xact, which processes over CAD 3.5 billion annually across more than 50 million transactions, will add a new operational hub in Vancouver, Canada. E-xact Transactions delivers secure payment processing and supports leading ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce.

Lily AI optimizes product discovery on search engines, answer engines, and genAI. Lily AI, a retail technology company for retailers and brands, has launched a tool to enhance product content for discoverability by traditional search engines, answer engines, and generative AI platforms, including Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Features include machine-optimized knowledge graph for every product, query intelligence, content refresh, and shopper-friendly language.

Lily AI