Amazon adds delivery tracking, last-minute adds, gift ideas to Alexa+

Amazon is ramping up its efforts to enhance the shopping experience through its voice-controlled assistant, Alexa+. As many Echo smart speaker users have not fully embraced Alexa for shopping, Amazon is rolling out a suite of new features aimed at making the experience more appealing and user-friendly. Starting today, Alexa+ users in the U.S. and Canada will have access to a shopping hub that includes tools for adding items to recent orders and personalized recommendations. Among the exciting updates is a feature for automated deal tracking, allowing users to receive alerts when items in their cart or wishlist drop below a specified price. This enhancement can be paired with automatic purchasing, enabling Alexa to place orders as soon as the target price is met. Additionally, Amazon is transforming its Echo devices with screens, such as the Echo Show 15 and 21, into comprehensive shopping hubs. Dubbed the “Shopping Essentials” experience, this interface allows users to track deliveries in real-time, view recent order details, and receive reminders for essential household items. Shoppers can also directly interact with their shopping lists and saved products via the screen, making it easier than ever to add items to their cart and complete purchases. To initiate the new shopping experience, users can simply say, “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” or “Open Shopping Essentials.” A convenient shopping widget will soon be available for placement on the home screen of Echo devices, further enhancing accessibility. Moreover, another noteworthy feature will enable users to add items to an existing delivery until the package leaves the warehouse, a functionality that aligns with similar features on Amazon’s website and app. Additionally, Alexa+ will now provide gift recommendations based on user descriptions of the recipient and occasion, curating suggestions into organized categories. With these enhancements, Amazon claims that Alexa+ is now reaching “tens of millions” of customers, and the features are live for users in the U.S. and Canada. Despite some user dissatisfaction, Amazon reports that the percentage of customers reverting to the previous, AI-free interface remains remarkably low, indicating a growing acceptance of the new shopping capabilities.