Amazon Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 have just received a new feature that make spending money even easier for consumers. The feature allows consumers to scan barcodes and add items to Alexa’s built in shopping list. The Echo show family’s visual displays and built in cameras make it all possible.
Alexa can already add items to your shopping list through voice command but she isn’t too good at understanding the specifics, you’ll either end up with a confused and needy Alexa or possibly unwanted ‘Amazon’s choice’ items in your list. When testing for ‘Lactose free milk’ we found ’50 Soya Milk Substitute Pots’ had been added to the shopping list. Thank the heavens you need to authorise purchases, the only place I want to see these is at hotels, and even then it’s dissapointing.
Consumers remain loyal
Adding items to your shopping list by scanning barcodes allow consumers to purchase specific or specialist items quickly, meaning when consumers prefer the brand of a specific third-party seller they won’t be tempted by a random competitors or ‘Amazon’s choice’ item when re-ordering.
It has taken some time for Amazon to release an accurate way of using their smart devices to add exactly what you need to your shopping list. It was in 2018 that we looked at whether smart assistants could revolutionise online shopping and how talking to a device wasn’t always reliable in providing a solution. Technologies always succeed when they make life easier for us and this is exactly what Amazon Echo 5 & 8 are doing. Smart voice assistants have the potential to significantly influence consumer purchasing behaviour and for Amazon’s new barcode scanner, merchants will be able to focus on creating and retaining customer loyalty.
If you have one of the applicable Echo’s then just say ‘Alexa, scan this to my shopping list.’ to use the device.
If you’re wondering what people did before Alexa, well…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=90&v=trfbpONj3dk&feature=emb_title
3 Responses
While recently binge-watching Black Mirror, I really do wonder what the future will hold for us all. Cameras constantly watching you. Microphones always listening. Anyone naive enough to think it’s all protected and what harm can it do, take a look at black mirror. Frighteningly close, I feel.
When they can tell me where my lost parcels are I will start worrying
Amazon Echo? The picture shows Google Home Mini.
I use neither, just wanted to give away my mobile phone but need the 4g tethering thingy for work.