New E-commerce Tools Launching in March 2025: Transforming the Merchant Landscape

Table of Contents

1. Key Highlights
2. Introduction
3. TikTok’s E-commerce Expansion
4. Payment Innovations with Splitit
5. Walmart's AI-Powered Assistant: Wally
6. Kibo's Agentic Commerce
7. Personalization with Monetate's Orchid AI
8. Yottaa’s Acquisition of SpeedSense
9. Noibu’s Enhancements with Salesforce
10. Amazon's Upgrade to Connect
11. Big Sur AI’s E-commerce Suite
12. ShipperHQ's Duties & Taxes Integration
13. Conclusion
14. FAQ

Key Highlights

• Emerging Technologies: Major platforms unveil new tools for e-commerce merchants, focusing on AI, automated ads, and enhanced payment integration.
• AI-Powered Assistants: Walmart's Wally and Kibo’s Agentic Commerce platform promise to change how merchants interact with data and customers.
• Personalization Advances: Monetate introduces Orchid AI, aiming to boost user experience through tailored search and navigation.
• Cross-Border Solutions: ShipperHQ enhances international shipping with a new duties and taxes calculator, simplifying transactions for merchants worldwide.

Introduction

E-commerce is experiencing rapid changes that demand businesses continuously adapt. Recent insights reveal that the global e-commerce market size was valued at over $4.2 trillion in 2020 and is expected to grow by a staggering 16% annually through 2028. With increasing competition, e-commerce entrepreneurs need tools that not only enhance operational efficiency but also resonate with tech-savvy consumers. As March 2025 progresses, several platforms are rolling out innovative tools aimed at transforming this landscape for merchants.

This article delves into the latest updates and tools poised to reshape e-commerce, including advancements in AI technology, innovative payment systems, and tools that promote personalized shopping experiences. These developments come at a time when businesses are not only trying to survive but thrive in an ever-evolving digital marketplace.

TikTok’s E-commerce Expansion

One of the most significant shifts is TikTok's announcement regarding its e-commerce features. Leveraging its strong engagement metrics, TikTok is deploying a suite of enhanced shopping ads and merchant tools.

Smart+ and GMV Max Campaigns

TikTok's Smart+ service is an AI-driven automated advertising tool that now integrates website and app promotions in a single campaign. This not only simplifies ad management but also allows merchants to maximize their marketing ROI through targeted outreach.

Simultaneously, its GMV Max automated ad campaigns are expanding to incorporate affiliate content and facilitate live shopping experiences. TikTok’s algorithm will now help merchants identify relevant product placements, aligning promotional efforts with live events for higher engagement rates.

Search Ads and New Creative Tools

In addition to these advertising enhancements, TikTok is broadening its portfolio of search ads and providing innovative content creation tools that allow merchants to generate videos and avatars easily. This further enables brands to create richer, more interactive shopping experiences, tapping into TikTok's intricate community of content creators.

Payment Innovations with Splitit

As e-commerce transactions grow, so does the necessity for flexible payment options. Splitit, a provider of credit card-linked payments, is addressing this need by launching its Card Installments app for Shopify.

Seamless User Experience

This app allows customers to choose between full payments and installments directly at checkout, mitigating the need for external redirects or lengthy application processes. Given that it operates on existing credit cards, it simplifies transactions for consumers and maintains brand integrity for merchants. This approach also caters to shoppers in over 100 countries, fostering local payment alternatives.

Walmart's AI-Powered Assistant: Wally

Walmart is not just a retail giant but also a significant player in the e-commerce tech space. The company recently unveiled Wally, an AI-powered assistant designed to aid merchants in streamlining operations and gaining business insights.

Intuitive Insights and Operational Support

Wally’s functionalities include analyzing complex datasets to help merchants understand product performance. It can diagnose factors contributing to sales trends—both positive and negative—and automate various operational tasks, such as formula generation and ticketing unresolved issues. This reduces the need for extensive training in technical methodologies, marking a significant step towards democratizing data-driven decision-making for merchants.

Kibo's Agentic Commerce

Kibo, renowned for its composable commerce solutions, has entered the e-commerce scene with its Agentic Commerce platform. This AI-driven solution aims to redefine how businesses engage with consumers.

A Suite of Commerce Agents

Initially launching with nine agents tailored to commerce operations, these include roles like Shopper and Customer Service Representative (CSR), which offer enhanced customer interaction capabilities. The integration of numerous AI agents is intended to optimize various operational aspects, from promotional strategies to order routing and logistics management.

Personalization with Monetate's Orchid AI

Personalization continues to be crucial in e-commerce, where consumer expectations are constantly evolving. Entreprises like Monetate have responded by launching Orchid AI.

Unified Personalization Engine

Orchid AI exists as a unified platform that integrates various functions—search, navigation, and personalization—catered to real-time customer intent. By delivering tailored search results, generating custom experiences for different user segments, and making product recommendations, Orchid AI significantly enhances user engagement and drives revenue growth.

Yottaa’s Acquisition of SpeedSense

To keep up with e-commerce optimization trends, Yottaa has notably acquired SpeedSense, integrating it into its Web Performance Cloud. This move signifies a shift toward comprehensive web optimization, enabling e-commerce brands to gauge revenue impacts precisely across their digital experiences.

Performance Measurement

By leveraging SpeedSense’s Sensai technology, brands can now capture critical performance statistics derived from authentic user interactions and monitor Google Core Web Vitals, which directly affect user experience and site performance. This acquisition empowers merchants to identify and rectify performance issues before they adversely impact customer satisfaction and conversion rates.

Noibu’s Enhancements with Salesforce

Noibu, a performance monitoring service, has strengthened its offering by integrating with Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This partnership allows for advanced monitoring capabilities of crucial site performance indicators.

Anomaly Detection and Recommendations

Merchants can swiftly detect and address site issues, enhancing both customer interactions and overall user experience. Noibu not only monitors loading speeds and visual stability but also provides actionable suggestions to fine-tune website performance in real-time.

Amazon's Upgrade to Connect

As businesses seek seamless tools for customer interaction, Amazon has unveiled the next generation of Connect. This updated service delivers first-party AI capabilities across all channels, simplifying implementation for businesses regardless of size.

Cost-Effective AI Utilization

With pricing now tied to channel usage, organizations can integrate AI-driven solutions without incurring prohibitive costs. This transformation significantly enhances customer engagement strategies while allowing businesses to allocate resources more efficiently towards improved customer experiences.

Big Sur AI’s E-commerce Suite

Big Sur is setting a new standard in AI-powered e-commerce tools by unveiling an expanded suite featuring various specialized AI agents. These agents are designed to streamline key aspects of online business management.

Diverse Functionalities

From sales assistance to data analytics, these agents equip users with capabilities to create customized landing pages, facilitate product guidance, and generate insights into business and product metrics. With the rise of conversational AI, Big Sur's offerings position merchants to not only enhance efficiency but to elevate overall customer interaction.

ShipperHQ's Duties & Taxes Integration

Cross-border e-commerce has always presented challenges, particularly concerning duties and taxes. ShipperHQ has addressed this with its newly launched, carrier-agnostic duties and tax calculator powered by DHL eCommerce.

Simplifying International Transactions

Merchants can now accurately calculate and collect duties and taxes at checkout across over 200 countries, easing the complexities of international shipping. This integration is set to be rapidly implemented across leading e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and Adobe Commerce, streamlining the cross-border shopping experience significantly.

Conclusion

The e-commerce landscape is undergoing a transformative phase, where technological advancements are not only enhancing merchant operations but also redefining customer interactions. From TikTok’s innovative advertising solutions to Walmart’s AI insights and ShipperHQ's ease of cross-border shopping, these emerging tools reflect an ongoing commitment to improving e-commerce platforms’ efficacy.

As these technologies resonate in the marketplace, they provide businesses with the resources they need to thrive amidst competition. Merchants equipped with these emerging e-commerce tools will be better poised to meet consumer demands, drive sales, and scale their operations effectively in a dynamic digital environment.

FAQ

What are the key new tools launched for e-commerce merchants in March 2025?

Recent updates include TikTok's Smart+ ad service, Walmart's AI assistant Wally, Kibo's Agentic Commerce platform, and Splitit’s Card Installments app for Shopify, among others.

How does TikTok’s GMV Max automated campaign work?

The GMV Max automated ad campaigns allow merchants to incorporate affiliate content along with live shopping formats, enabling a comprehensive and engaging promotional experience.

What benefits do AI-powered assistants like Walmart's Wally provide?

Wally offers merchants data-driven insights, automates operational tasks, and helps diagnose product performance, enhancing effectiveness and efficiency in managing inventory and sales strategies.

How can e-commerce businesses improve site performance?

E-commerce businesses can enhance their site performance by utilizing tools like Noibu for monitoring and Yottaa's Web Performance Cloud to measure the impact of user experience on revenue.

What role does personalization play in e-commerce?

Personalization is crucial for increasing customer engagement, and tools like Monetate's Orchid AI enhance this by tailoring search results and customer experiences based on real-time data.

What is ShipperHQ's new duties and taxes feature about?

ShipperHQ has launched a duties and taxes calculator that helps merchants calculate and collect international duties and taxes seamlessly at checkout, simplifying the global shopping experience.