Amazon’s new Echo range has the power to reshape how shoppers discover your products…
The latest generation of Echo devices has landed, powered by Alexa+, Amazon’s newly upgraded AI assistant.
And while the headlines focus on faster chips and sleeker hardware, the real story for brands lies in what this means for shopping behaviour.
Built on custom AZ3 chips with Omnisense sensors, the new Echo range (Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11) makes Alexa faster, more conversational and more context-aware than ever before – an evolution which means that Alexa+ is now more than a voice assistant, it’s a discovery engine in its own right.
Shopping by conversation, not keyword
It’s an ultimate upgrade that’s been on the cards for a long time – Alexa+ now understands natural, open-ended questions; the kind your buyers might ask a friend, not a search bar.
Instead of keyword-based results, these new devices are able to serve up curated product suggestions based on purchase history, reviews and voice patterns, and they remember context across devices too.
Say your consumer starts a query on their Echo, picks it up in their car and finishes it on their phone – Alexa+ can carry the thread right through.
There’s even a new on-screen shopping widget on Echo displays that lets users track orders, reorder favourites or explore recommendations – all without lifting a finger.
What this means for brands
For Amazon brands, Alexa+ represents a subtle but significant shift in how discoverability works on Amazon, with far more emphasis on voice optimisation than ever before.
And how do you prepare for voice-driven shopping?
Well, with the emphasis on context, conversation and completeness, we think early movers will benefit most by:
- Optimising listings for broad questions and natural language, building copy that matches how customers speak, not just what they type.
- Integrating question-based long-tail keywords: “Best gifts for…” or “Which brand of…” can help align listings with Alexa+’s conversational logic.
- Creating bundles and add-ons: Alexa+ now recommends complementary products, opening new paths to boost AOV.
- Preparing for cross-platform reach: Alexa+ integrates with third-party services like Uber, Grubhub and Fandango, so smart brands are thinking beyond Amazon alone.
The Bottom Line
As it gets ever-more sophisticated, voice commerce is set to become part of everyday shopping behaviour – and the launch of these new Alexa+ devices looks set to push that frontier faster than ever.
For brands, this is a great time to futureproof your presence, refining your listings now so when shoppers start talking instead of typing, your products are ready to go.
If you’d like to understand how to optimise for voice search, hone your catalogue for AI-driven discovery and/or build listings that stay visible as the retail setting continues to evolve, our experts can help you get ahead of the curve.