New ecommerce tools and services launched
New ecommerce tools and services may help merchants, including Shopify’s Canvas with AI-powered features.
This week, several new ecommerce tools were introduced, including updates on website builders, no-box returns, and AI-powered ad campaigns. One notable launch is Shopify’s Canvas, a design surface where merchants can build and customize their stores with the help of Sidekick, Shopify’s AI agent.
Canvas allows merchants to view page layouts, understand the overall feel of their store, and zoom in to work on details. Merchants can click on elements to make changes directly or work with Sidekick through a chat interface. As the store is built, Sidekick validates and reviews screenshots on Canvas.
New Shipping and Logistics Tools
Logistics provider ShipStation has introduced a new feature called Ship with Walmart, enabling Walmart Marketplace vendors to book discounted shipping rates directly through the ShipStation system for domestic U.S. deliveries. This update lets sellers generate shipping labels, access order protections, and handle Walmart orders without leaving their existing ShipStation tools.
TikTok is rolling out enhanced shopping tools powered by artificial intelligence, including features designed to simplify both product discovery and checkout processes. Among the new offerings is Buy Direct, which lets shoppers complete purchases in-app, and Shopping Assistant, an AI-driven chatbot that offers instant guidance on products, shipping costs, sizing, stock levels, and buying options.
Amazon has rolled out Ads Agent, an AI-driven advertising platform that consolidates various campaign formats into a single interface for research, strategy, and execution. Users can manually design campaigns or allow Amazon’s AI to handle optimization tasks on their behalf.
Partnerships and Acquisitions
The U.S. Postal Service and Amazon are partnering on a same-day delivery pilot, where Amazon packages arriving at the USPS between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. local time will be sorted and delivered by mail carriers between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. the same day. Each USPS location will have a limit of 200 packages and three required delivery routes during the pilot.
Swap, an end-to-end ecommerce platform, has acquired Vizby, an AI tool built specifically for Shopify stores. The purchase strengthens Swap’s AI capabilities, complementing its existing AI-powered storefront and checkout features.
UPS’s Happy Returns program is now partnering with TikTok Shop to offer sellers a hassle-free return solution that eliminates the need for return boxes or labels. This service is available to all participating U.S.-based TikTok Shop vendors, regardless of whether they handle fulfillment in-house or rely on TikTok’s logistics network.
Contentstack has unveiled Canoe, a tool that reveals how search engines and AI systems describe a brand and its competitors. The platform analyzes a company’s website to identify its core offerings, target customers, and up to 10 competing businesses.
After reviewing the extracted data, users can refine the information before Canoe generates potential customer questions. These questions are categorized by the buyer’s stage in the shopping journey—ranging from initial awareness to final decision-making.
New Customer Service and Marketplace Tools
Helppli has introduced a customizable AI assistant designed to manage customer interactions across multiple channels, including phone calls, WhatsApp, text messages, live chat, and email. Businesses can configure the AI to perform specific roles, such as acting as a receptionist, sales representative, or support specialist.
uParcel, a Singapore-based company specializing in ecommerce fulfillment and rapid delivery, has launched a service to fully manage sellers’ marketplace operations. The offering includes optimizing storefronts on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop, handling listings, orders, promotions, ads, and customer support, while also warehousing, packing, and delivering orders from its own facilities.
MoEngage, an AI engagement platform, has announced MoEngage for Shopify. The native integration unlocks native AI functionality and unifies a merchant’s Shopify data across multiple channels, including email, SMS, app and web push, WhatsApp, and on-site personalization.
Nexa launched its creator marketplace, where brands and businesses can discover and hire creators and influencers. The marketplace shows creators’ profiles and rates for free, and Nexa generates revenue through a brand-side platform fee rather than deducting a percentage from creator earnings.
Easyship, a global shipping software and API, has expanded its export infrastructure for eBay U.K. shipping. Easyship delivers hub processing, bulk label generation, compliance screening, carrier integrations, and customs documentation, all built for high-volume marketplace order flow.
UPS has launched Secure Commerce, a suite of supply chain tools for proactive shipping and ecommerce risk mitigation. The tools provide a view of the entire supply chain, empowering businesses to make smarter decisions before, during, and after delivery.
These developments are part of a larger trend in ecommerce, as companies continue to invest in new technologies and services to improve the online shopping experience. They are working to make it easier for merchants to build and customize their stores, manage their shipping and logistics, and provide better customer service.
