Either you like it or notAmazon continues to put AI at the heart of the shopping journey. The company was announced Wednesday “Alexa for Shopping,” the new personalized AI shopping assistant, powered by Alexa+.
Specifically, the experience will replace Rufus, the AI shopping assistant launched in 2024. According to the company, Alexa for Shopping is designed to deliver a voice- and touch-enabled shopping experience on mobile, desktop and Echo Show smart displays. While Rufus focused on helping customers discover and compare products, Alexa for Shopping aims to provide more personalized recommendations and automate the shopping experience across Amazon and other online retailers.
Now available to US customers, Alexa for Shopping can answer anything from “What’s a good skincare routine for men?” to “When was the last time I ordered AA batteries?” Users can type their question into the main search bar or the dedicated Alexa for Shopping chat window, and Alexa will provide customized answers, suggestions, and even create custom shopping guides. The company says the assistant understands customers’ habits, preferences and purchase history to deliver “that connected, personalized help in how you shop” and make the assistant “more personal and more useful over time.”
Beyond answering questions, Alexa for Shopping can compare products, track prices, and even schedule repeat orders for staples like pet food or paper towels. If you want to automatically add something to your cart when it’s released, you can just tell Alexa, “Add this sunscreen to my cart if the price drops to $10.”
In addition, the assistant can also go beyond the Amazon market, shop other online stores and use the “Buy for Me” function to handle the purchase for you, which could be considered convenient but also a little. controversialgiven the growing concern about AI autonomy and privacy.
The launch of Alexa for Shopping comes on the heels of the introduction of Amazon’s 30-minute delivery service, “Amazon Now,” in dozens of U.S. cities and a new AI-powered feature that produces real-time audio responses to customer product questions.
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