Every week we publish a rundown of new services for ecommerce merchants. This installment includes updates on product images, returns management, agentic commerce, financing, social commerce, website builders, international shipping, and alternative payments.
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New Tools for Merchants
VisualScale.ai launches on Google Cloud Marketplace for 3D images. Imagine.io, a developer of AI-powered three-dimensional visualization and content for commerce, has announced the availability of VisualScale.ai on Google Cloud Marketplace. VisualScale.ai lets brands generate realistic, lifestyle visuals using a product image and prompt. Users can start from a cutout image, an existing lifestyle image, or an eligible three-dimensional model, then refine the result with natural-language prompts. Users can upload brand guidelines or reference imagery to steer outputs toward approved looks and identities.
Imagine.io
ShipStation streamlines duty and tax payments for cross-border deliveries. ShipStation, a shipping and logistics platform, is helping U.S. merchants ship internationally. The company is offering a guaranteed prepaid duties and taxes feature, enabling end consumers to pay all fees upfront and thus eliminate unexpected post-delivery charges. Merchants can confirm duty and tax costs directly in ShipStation’s platform when purchasing a label.
European Payments Initiative launches Wero in Germany. The European Payments Initiative, a service backed by 16 European banks and providers, has announced a feature for Wero, an alternative payment solution for Europe-based consumers and merchants, following its development for instant peer-to-peer transfers. Wero ecommerce is now live in Germany, enabling consumers to find merchants accepting this payment solution. EPI member banks in Germany (Postbank, Deutsche Bank, ING Deutschland, Revolut) have begun allowing Wero transactions.
WooCommerce integrates with Reddit. Woo, the company behind the WooCommerce plugin for WordPress, has released Reddit for WooCommerce, streamlining the process for merchants to launch ad campaigns on Reddit. The extension’s one-click deployment automatically enables the Reddit Pixel and conversations API. Merchants can sync product catalogs to Reddit Ads Manager in a single click and, once connected, use the Reddit Ads Manager to create Dynamic Product Ads and Conversions campaigns.
Reddit for WooCommerce
Amazon announces a new returns dashboard. Amazon has introduced “Returns and Recovery: Insights and Opportunities, “a dashboard for all sellers to obtain clearer insights into returns and inventory recovery. The dashboard offers (i) ASIN-level insights, (ii) performance metrics to track trends over time, (iii) recovery insights for Grade and Resell members, and (iv) a resource center and settings to manage returns and recovery settings for both FBA and Fulfilled by Merchant products.
Cross-border platform IFYshop launches Global Warehouse Logistics Fund. IFYshop, a shopping app, has launched the Global Warehouse Logistics Fund to construct smart storage centers, automated sorting systems, and AI-driven supply chain management systems. IFYshop plans to build a logistics network in major trade corridors, helping sellers reduce warehousing and fulfillment costs while enhancing cross-border fulfillment speed. IFYshop is also launching Saving Wallet, a tool for sellers to manage settlement funds.
MikMak updates platform with MCP-powered and AI-driven features. MikMak, an ecommerce enablement and analytics platform, has announced the upcoming release of Model-Context-Protocol-powered and AI-driven enhancements to MikMak 3.0, including the debut of conversational insights. With MCP, commerce systems and AI agents can communicate. MikMak says it amplifies this capability through commerce and insights APIs. MikMak’s conversational insights enable the pairing of visual analytics with narrative intelligence, automatically generating summaries and recommendations.
MikMak
Facebook Marketplace improves tools for buyers and sellers to interact. Facebook Marketplace is testing a feature to help buyers ask the right questions. When starting a chat with a seller, shoppers will see a “Suggested questions to ask” button. Meta AI will use the details from the listing and conversation to suggest questions to ask the seller. Shoppers can react and comment directly on listings, helping others learn about item quality and discover unique finds.
Alibaba.com unveils agentic AI mode. Alibaba.com has launched AI mode, integrating agent-based capabilities directly into the user journey. According to Alibaba.com, AI mode will interpret natural language queries, analyze technical specifications, and automatically compare suppliers across pricing, logistics, certifications, and production capabilities, quickly delivering tailored recommendations. By connecting with existing Alibaba.com services such as secure payment and post-sales support, AI mode aims to enable a fully automated buying experience.
GoDaddy brings agentic AI to small businesses with launch of Airo. GoDaddy has launched Airo, a beta agentic AI website for small businesses to turn simple conversations into completed tasks. Airo can propose an idea, register a domain, build a website, generate a logo or template, and produce a hosted app. Six agents are available at launch: Airo, Airo App Builder, Compliance, Domain Search and Registration, Website Builder, and Logo.
Liquid announces multi-year partnership with Shopify. Liquid, a builder of multimodal foundation models for real-time applications, has partnered with Shopify to license Liquid Foundation Models for search. As part of the agreement, Shopify and Liquid have co-developed a generative recommender system. They are evaluating multimodal models for additional products and use cases, including customer profiles, agents, and product classification. The agreement follows Shopify’s participation in Liquid’s $250 million Series A round in December 2024.
Liquid
Ant International’s Antom launches AI-powered app for SMB operations. Antom, a provider of merchant payment services under Ant International, has announced EPOS360, an app that brings point-of-sale systems, payments, banking, lending, and support together for small and medium‑sized businesses. According to Antom, the app enables merchants to set up online stores and partner with e-wallets and other digital channels. Merchants can also manage daily operations, inventory, and seasonal promotions, and obtain financing support from Ant’s Anext Bank, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
PayPal relaunches in the U.K. with debit and credit cards plus rewards. PayPal is relaunching its digital wallet across the U.K. as a unified payment experience for customers to shop online and in-store. PayPal customers across the U.K. can now access the new PayPal+ loyalty program, with PayPal debit and credit cards also available. Consumers can sign up to PayPal+ for free in the PayPal app and earn points on both online and in-store purchases.
Znode partners with Unbound Commerce for mobile B2B ecommerce. Znode, a B2B ecommerce platform, has announced a partnership with Unbound Commerce, a provider of app solutions. The partnership enables Znode customers to extend wholesale ecommerce experiences into native iOS and Android apps. Unbound Commerce specializes in building mobile applications for manufacturers and distributors.
Marketing platform Profound launches Shopping Analysis to track AI engines. Profound, a platform that helps businesses control how they appear in generative AI responses, has launched Shopping Analysis. The new tool enables retailers to track which products appear in AI shopping conversations, monitor their visibility rates and positioning against competitors, and understand the specific attributes answer engines assign to their products. Shopping Analysis captures actual product images, their placement within conversations, and comprehensive response details. It also enables teams to evaluate merchant and channel performance.
Profound