Amazon rolls out new Alexa shopping assistant as a personal buying adviser, replacing Rufus AI

Online shopping has long been built around search bars, filters and endless scrolling. Amazon now believes artificial intelligence can replace much of that with something closer to an ongoing conversation.

The company is launching a new version of Alexa focused entirely on shopping, and unlike earlier Alexa experiences, this one is not limited to Echo owners or Prime subscribers. Over the coming week, customers in the US will be able to access the assistant directly through the Amazon mobile app and website, turning the retail platform into a more interactive AI-powered shopping companion.

The move marks Amazon’s latest push to make generative AI a central part of everyday consumer behaviour. Instead of simply responding to voice commands, the new shopping-focused Alexa is designed to remember preferences, track browsing habits and offer contextual suggestions that evolve over time.

Amazon says the system combines the conversational abilities of Alexa+, its newer generative AI assistant, with the product-focused knowledge base of Rufus, the company’s earlier AI shopping helper introduced in 2024.

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Amazon wants shopping to feel more like a conversation

The new Alexa experience appears designed to reduce the friction that usually comes with online shopping. Rather than forcing users to search through dozens of listings manually, the assistant can answer questions, compare products and suggest items based on previous activity.

Users can access the assistant by tapping the Alexa icon inside the Amazon app or website. They can also type natural language questions directly into Amazon’s search bar, which now recognises when someone is trying to interact with the AI assistant rather than perform a standard product search.

Because the system pulls information from a customer’s browsing history, previous purchases and past Alexa interactions, it can provide highly personalised responses. Someone searching for a new laptop, for example, can ask Alexa for recommendations based on preferred specifications, then request notifications if the price drops.

Amazon says the assistant can also handle broader lifestyle-style queries. Parents can ask for birthday gift suggestions for children of a certain age, while students can use it to brainstorm ideas for school projects before receiving recommendations for supplies to purchase.

From price tracking to personalised buying guides

Beyond recommendations, Amazon is positioning the assistant as a decision-making tool.

Alexa for Shopping can compare multiple products side-by-side, generate customised buying guides and even display a product’s price history from the previous year. Users can ask the assistant to explain differences between items, highlight review trends or suggest better alternatives within a budget.

The system also supports practical automation features. Customers can schedule recurring purchases, automatically refill commonly ordered products and quickly add previous purchases back into their basket.

Amazon is additionally extending the experience to larger-screen Echo Show devices, allowing users to browse and search products visually through the smart displays.