Amazon expands a program that lets customers shop from other retailers’ sites

Amazon is broadening the reach of its innovative program, known as Shop Direct, which enables U.S. customers to explore and purchase items unavailable in its own online marketplace. Announced on Wednesday, this expansion will now include support for third-party product feeds, allowing merchants to share vital information regarding their inventory, pricing, and catalog with Amazon. This development means that shoppers can be directed to a retailer's website through Amazon’s search results or via its AI shopping assistant, Rufus. Customers will even have the ability to leverage AI to facilitate their purchases. The integration will initially feature third-party product feeds from providers such as Feedonomics, Salsify, and CEDCommerce, giving Amazon real-time access to merchant inventories and product details. Additional feed providers are expected to be integrated in the future, alongside a new Amazon merchant portal that will offer a direct feed for merchants. The beta testing of this shopping feature began in February 2025, enabling links to retailers' websites when specific products were not found within Amazon's own offerings. Customers will see product details on Amazon but can click through to the retailer’s site for more information, pricing, and delivery options. To ensure clarity, customers will be informed that they are leaving Amazon’s platform. This initiative is available to a wide range of brands, not just those participating in the Buy with Prime program, which allows for checkout using saved payment information on Amazon. While this strategy could significantly enhance a brand’s visibility and sales potential, it also provides Amazon with valuable insights into consumer preferences regarding brands, products, and pricing. Such data could be instrumental for Amazon in refining its business approach, tracking market trends, and identifying prospective partners for the Buy with Prime initiative. Furthermore, it solidifies Amazon's position as a primary destination for product searches. Additionally, Amazon has introduced the Buy for Me feature, enabling its AI agent to manage purchases on third-party sites. The AI bot oversees the entire checkout process, requiring customers only to confirm their order details, including delivery address, taxes, shipping fees, and payment method. Once completed, these orders can be monitored in the same “Your Orders” section as standard Amazon purchases or in a designated “Buy for Me Orders” tab. Shop Direct is currently available for U.S. customers through Amazon.com, the Amazon mobile app, and via the Rufus AI assistant.