Amazon is expanding the shopping capabilities of its upgraded AI assistant, Alexa+, with a new wave of features now rolling out to users across the U.S. and Canada. The update aims to make Alexa+ a more intuitive and proactive shopping companion something Amazon has pursued since launching the Echo lineup but has struggled to fully achieve.
Historically, Amazon found that most Echo owners did not use voice commands to shop, despite the company’s early hopes that Alexa would become a natural interface for placing orders. With these new tools, Amazon is pushing closer to that vision by making the experience more interactive, visual, and personalized especially for users of screen-enabled Echo devices like the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21.
One of the biggest additions is a new Shopping Essentials hub, designed as a centralized dashboard for all shopping-related tasks. Users will be able to track deliveries in real time, review recent purchases, monitor household essentials that may need reordering, and browse saved lists all from the device display. Shoppers can also browse recommended products and add them directly to their cart with a tap or a voice command.
To launch the dashboard, users can simply say:
“Alexa, where’s my stuff?” or “Open Shopping Essentials.”
A dedicated home screen widget is also coming soon for quicker access.
Another notable enhancement is the ability to add items to an existing order until it leaves the warehouse. While this feature exists on the Amazon website and mobile app, this marks the first time it is fully integrated into Alexa devices making last-minute shopping changes easier and more convenient.
Alexa+ is also gaining a new capability focused on personalized gifting. Users can describe who they are buying for such as a child, coworker, or pet or specify an event like birthdays or holidays. Alexa will then display tailored recommendations organized into themed categories.
Amazon reports that Alexa+ now reaches tens of millions of customers, and early data shows very few users are switching back to the non-AI version indicating a positive response to the upgrades.
With these new smart shopping tools, Amazon is moving one step closer to turning Alexa+ into the seamless, AI-powered retail assistant it originally envisioned.
