If you want an idea of how seriously Amazon is pursuing the idea of shopping by voice, look no further than the way the executive who runs the initiative describes it on his LinkedIn page: “Amazon 2.0.” But customers are going to need an incentive to try out this new ordering method.
Amazon is giving out discounts if you order through Alexa this weekend
“Alexa, give me one good reason to shop by voice.”
Jason Del Rey has been a business journalist for 15 years and has covered Amazon, Walmart, and the e-commerce industry for the last decade. He was a senior correspondent at Vox.
So starting Friday, Amazon is offering a host of deals exclusive to customers who place an order through the Alexa voice service that powers the Amazon Echo and other Amazon voice-enabled devices.
Amazon first launched voice shopping with a simple use case: Reordering an item you’ve previously bought. Since then, the company has expanded voice shopping to tens of millions of Prime-eligible items. Amazon envisions a future where its customers can easily place orders on the go via voice, even while driving. Such an evolution of e-commerce could grow into yet another competitive advantage for Amazon.
Customers who want to order an item by voice say, “Alexa, order a [product name].” Amazon then selects a “well-priced product” that is eligible for Prime shipping. The company doesn’t disclose all the factors used to choose the specific item, which is made available through a program called “Amazon’s Choice.”
The promotion will run through the end of the day Monday, Nov. 21, and feature deals such as a 32-inch Samsung TV for $119 and an Amazon Tap, a sort of portable Echo, for $50 off.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
