Amazon created a version of Alexa just for shopping

Amazon will roll out a version of Alexa specifically for shopping to all customers in the United States over the coming week, and you’ll be able to access it even if you don’t have a Prime membership or an Echo device. You can use it for free in the Amazon mobile app by tapping the Alexa icon in the bottom menu or by tapping the icon at the top of your screen on the Amazon website. You can also simply enter questions into the search bar on Amazon’s website, which will recognize that the question is for the assistant.

The company says Alexa for Shopping combines the personalized insights of Alexa+, its AI-powered Alexa upgrade, with the product expertise of Rufus, its old AI-powered shopping assistant that rolled out in 2024. Alexa for Shopping takes note of all your interactions with Alexa on Echo and other devices, as well as your shopping and browsing history on Amazon. It can then make suggestions on what to buy based on these details. The assistant can also answer questions unrelated to purchases, based on items you’ve already purchased.

Amazon has listed some examples of how Amazon for Shopping could work for you. You can use Alexa to brainstorm ideas for a school science project, for example, and it can recommend supplies to purchase even if you discussed the project with the assistant a few days before. Their assistant can give you troubleshooting tips for appliance malfunctions based on items you’ve already purchased for them, such as pods for a specific dishwasher model. You can ask the assistant for advice on which laptop to buy that meets your specifications and then set a price alert for it. If you tell Alexa that a child in your life is turning 5, it can suggest age-appropriate gifts that will arrive before their birthday.

Additionally, Alexa for Shopping can compare multiple items you select in your search results and show you an item’s price history for the past year. You can use it to schedule routine purchases, automatically add items to your cart based on previous orders, and have it create personalized shopping guides that compare features, prices, and reviews between items. Note that you must be logged in to use it, as it needs to see your profile and history to work. In addition to launching Alexa for Shopping, the company is also bringing the full Amazon experience to Echo Show devices with larger screens, allowing you to search and browse items on smart displays.