Amazon launches Alexa for Shopping as Rufus moves behind the scenes

Amazon has launched Alexa for Purchasing, combining its Rufus buying chatbot with Alexa+ throughout its app, web site, and Echo Present gadgets.

The assistant can reply product questions, evaluate objects, observe costs, and help buying reminders. It may well additionally deal with scheduled buying actions and eligible automated purchases.

The corporate stated Alexa for Purchasing combines Rufus’ product experience with Alexa+’s personalised assistant context. Amazon stated Rufus helped greater than 300 million prospects in 2025 analysis, evaluate, and purchase merchandise.

GeekWire reported that Amazon is retiring the Rufus identify from its buying interface, whereas Rufus will proceed to energy elements of the expertise behind the scenes.

GeekWire additionally reported that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated Rufus month-to-month energetic customers rose greater than 115%, whereas engagement elevated almost 400% yr over yr.

Alexa for Purchasing is accessible via the Amazon Purchasing app, Amazon’s web site, and Echo Present gadgets. The characteristic is rolling out to US prospects. Signed-in Amazon prospects can use it at no cost, with no Prime membership, Echo gadget, or Alexa app.

Amazon reported US$426.3 billion in North America internet gross sales and US$161.9 billion in worldwide internet gross sales in 2025. Amazon additionally reported on-line shops and third-party vendor providers as separate income classes in its 2025 annual report.

Amazon provides buying questions to go looking

The assistant permits prospects to ask shopping-related questions via Amazon’s predominant search bar as an alternative of utilizing a separate chatbot window. Customers can ask for product suggestions or buy historical past. They’ll additionally ask for recommendation associated to particular buying wants.

Examples shared by Amazon embody questions similar to “What’s an excellent skincare routine for males?” and “When did I final order AA batteries?” Amazon stated the assistant makes use of info from its platform to reply these questions.

Amazon stated Alexa for Purchasing makes use of info from a buyer’s Amazon exercise and Alexa interactions. That features buying historical past, looking, purchases, and conversations. Amazon stated the data is used to advocate merchandise and help buying actions.

Alexa for Purchasing can evaluate merchandise aspect by aspect and supply AI-generated summaries on product pages. It may well additionally present AI-generated overviews in search outcomes with class info.

Value monitoring and automatic buying

Alexa for Purchasing can monitor worth drops for chosen objects for as much as one yr. Clients can view a full yr of worth historical past on product element pages or by asking the assistant.

The assistant can create buying guides for bigger purchases. These guides evaluate product options and costs. In addition they embody evaluations from Amazon and the online.

Amazon stated prospects can use the assistant to set scheduled buying actions, together with restocking home goods. Amazon stated the assistant can even deal with birthday reminders and present recommendations.

Scheduled actions may also be tied to circumstances. For instance, the assistant can add an merchandise to the cart if it reaches a goal worth and has not been bought inside a set interval.

The assistant can search previous orders and add ceaselessly bought objects to a buyer’s cart via conversational prompts.

Amazon stated prospects can view and replace private particulars utilized by Alexa for Purchasing. These particulars can embody relations, pets, pursuits, and dietary wants.

Alexa for Purchasing can even floor merchandise from different on-line shops via Store Direct. For eligible merchandise, Amazon stated its Purchase for Me agentic AI characteristic can full purchases utilizing a buyer’s major deal with and fee technique.

Echo Present will get full buying entry

Amazon can also be including full-store buying entry to Echo Present. Customers can browse, search, and store utilizing voice, contact, or each.

The Echo Present buying expertise is accessible for Alexa+ prospects on Echo Present 15 and Echo Present 21, with help for different gadgets to comply with.

Amazon additionally cited AI investments in its first-quarter 2026 outcomes. The corporate stated free money circulation fell to US$1.2 billion for the trailing 12 months. It attributed the decline primarily to a US$59.3 billion enhance in property and gear purchases, primarily reflecting AI investments.

Rajiv Mehta, Amazon’s vice chairman of conversational buying, stated the assistant can carry buyer preferences, previous purchases, and conversations throughout telephones, laptops, and Echo gadgets.

Customers can entry the assistant by updating the Amazon Purchasing app and deciding on the Alexa icon within the backside navigation bar. On the desktop, the characteristic seems on the prime of the display.

(Photograph by Anirudh)

See additionally: Google assessments Remy AI agent for Gemini as focus turns to person management

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