Amazon brings Alexa shopping to your text messages

SEATTLE: Amazon on Friday said US customers would be able to use Alexa for Shopping, its AI-powered shopping assistant, to search for products and make purchases through text messages.

Amazon said the new text feature lets users research and compare products, track deals and price drops, and have Alexa for Shopping complete purchases on their behalf.

The feature is rolling out to a small group of invited US customers ahead of a broader launch in the coming weeks, Amazon said.

Selected customers will receive a text inviting them to turn the feature on. Those with access can text Alexa using natural language to search for items, add them to a cart, and complete purchases. Customers who aren’t invited yet can join a waitlist.

The text agent extends Alexa’s recent shopping upgrades: users can keep a list, monitor prices, compare products from across the web, and check where an order stands. A request begun by text can also carry over to the Amazon Shopping app, Amazon.com and Alexa-enabled devices, and vice versa.

The rollout comes just ahead of the holiday shopping season and follows Amazon’s move to block rival AI shopping agents from accessing its marketplace.

Amazon said more than 400 million customers have used Alexa for Shopping in the last 12 months.There is no word yet on when the feature will reach other markets, including India.