The Alexa for Shopping AI assistant now enables users to order groceries and receive product recommendations directly through text messages.
Amazon is introducing a new feature for Alexa for Shopping that permits customers to purchase items by texting the AI assistant. Users can describe desired products or upload photos, prompting Alexa for Shopping to search Amazon listings, text back with recommendations, and complete the order on their behalf.
This launch expands upon the existing Alexa for Shopping experience, which launched in May and allows users to place orders via text when it is more convenient than using the Amazon app or website. The contact will appear on the user's phone as "Amazon Alexa" and can handle various shopping requests, such as ordering weekly groceries, seeking gift recommendations, finding similar products to a photo, and more. Alexa learns personal preferences over time—ensuring that if a user frequently requests vegan options, the assistant considers this for future recommendations—and can track deals to notify users when items they are watching go on sale.
The texting capability is currently rolling out to a small group of Amazon customers in the United States, who will receive an invitation via text message to try the experience. Amazon plans to expand this feature to "millions more customers" over the coming weeks, as announced by the company.
"Customers frequently jot down what they need the moment they think of it in their notes, messages, or group chats," stated Rajiv Mehta, vice president of Conversational Shopping at Amazon. "With Alexa for Shopping, your personal shopping agent is now just a text away. Simply message it what you need, and Alexa will handle the search, comparison, and purchasing so you can get on with your day."
Amazon joins other companies in introducing text-based interfaces for their chatbots. In the previous month, OpenAI launched a feature allowing users to exchange text messages with its personal AI agent, Dot. Additionally, DoorDash introduced a text-based ordering feature in September, enabling users to receive dish recommendations and place food orders via text to the Ask DoorDash AI chatbot.
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