Inside Shopify Summer Editions 2025: Why B2B is the New Black
Sometimes you need to hop on a plane and immerse yourself in an ecosystem to truly understand where the industry is heading. That's exactly what we did when the 5874 Commerce team packed our bags for Shopify Editions in Canada – and what a ride it turned out to be.
The Welcome: Racing Into the Future
The event kicked off with what can only be described as peak Shopify energy: CEO Tobi Lütke racing around in a Shopify-branded race car with VP of Product Vanessa Lee hanging on for dear life as his passenger. It was equal parts hilarious and symbolic – Shopify racing ahead while their partners (metaphorically) grip the dashboard wondering where this wild ride is taking them.
But once the theatrical introductions were over, the real substance began.
170+ Product Updates: Quality Over Quantity
Vanessa Lee took the stage to walk through their latest Shopify Editions release, boasting over 170 new features and updates. The highlights that caught our architecture-focused eye included:
- Next-generation development platform with improved theme system
- Major Sidekick AI enhancements (because apparently even commerce platforms need AI sidekicks now)
- MCP tools for storefronts and customer accounts
- Storefront web components for more flexible frontend development
- Complete retail section redesign
What struck us wasn't just the volume of updates, but Shopify's clear focus on developer experience and platform flexibility – areas where our complex architecture and integration expertise could really shine.
The "Ask Tobi Anything" Reality Check
The candid Q&A session with Tobi and VP of Product Glen Coates offered some refreshing honesty about the industry's direction. They discussed everything from dockerizing old Shopify versions (a developer's nightmare turned solution) to the potential obsolescence of SaaS platforms in an AI-dominated future.
Tobi's response to Microsoft's CEO predicting the end of SaaS was particularly interesting: "Don't fall in love with current solutions." It's a reminder that platforms – whether Shopify, BigCommerce, or others – need to continuously evolve or risk becoming yesterday's news.
Perhaps the most eye-opening sessions centered around B2B commerce. The numbers are staggering:
- B2B e-commerce is twice the size of D2C globally
- Shopify experienced over 100% B2B growth annually
- Major brands like Carrier are migrating billions in revenue to Shopify's B2B platform
Brandon Gracey from Shopify's Enterprise Sales team made a compelling case: B2B isn't just an add-on anymore – it's becoming a primary revenue driver and often serves as a "funding engine" for other digital transformation projects.
For agencies like us, this represents a massive opportunity. While thousands of Shopify partners focus on D2C storefronts, the B2B space demands exactly what we specialise in: complex architecture, sophisticated integrations, and systems thinking.
The industry-specific sessions revealed some fascinating opportunities. Ryan Quarles from Shopify's Diversified Industries team highlighted booming sectors:
- Automotive aftermarket (with significant investment in personalisation)
- Education (projected 10% annual growth driven by digital transformation)
- Manufacturing (embracing D2C and B2B hybrid models)
These industries require the kind of complex, integrated solutions that go far beyond template customisation – they need partners who understand both commerce and enterprise architecture.
The Partner Ecosystem: $300M in GMV and Growing
Shopify's commercial leadership didn't hold back on the impressive numbers: $8.9 billion in revenue, eight consecutive quarters of 25% growth, and a partner ecosystem that's becoming increasingly central to their strategy.
The new initiatives particularly caught our attention:
- Plus Development Stores launching in June
- Shopify Reseller Program starting with CDW
- Updated Channel Incentives Program with revenue sharing on variable platform fees
But perhaps most telling was their announcement of 10x increased investment in joint go-to-market campaigns with partners. This isn't just talk – Shopify is putting serious money behind partner success.
The Honest Take: Platform Agnostic in a Platform-Centric World
Here's where we need to be transparent: as an agency that works with both Shopify and BigCommerce, events like this present an interesting challenge. Shopify's ecosystem energy is undeniable, and their partner-focused approach is genuinely impressive.
However, we believe the future belongs to agencies that can architect the right solution for each client's specific needs – whether that's Shopify's ecosystem strength, BigCommerce's API-first approach, or a custom solution entirely.
What Shopify Editions reinforced for us is that success in e-commerce isn't about picking the "winning" platform – it's about understanding each platform's strengths and knowing when to apply them.
The Bottom Line
Two days in Canada reminded us why we started 5874 Commerce: the e-commerce space is evolving rapidly, and merchants need partners who can navigate complexity, not just install themes.
Whether it's Shopify's B2B explosion, the manufacturing industry's digital awakening, or the next platform innovation around the corner, the opportunities are there for agencies willing to go deep on technical architecture and integration expertise.
The race car analogy from day one was more apt than we initially realised – the industry is moving fast, but success comes to those who can handle the curves.
Ready to discuss complex e-commerce architecture? Whether you're Team Shopify, Team BigCommerce, or Team "Whatever Works Best," we'd love to chat about your next project.
