Amazon takes on Google with mobile search-based shopping pilot
Amazon is testing a new e-commerce feature that brings its app closer to being a Google-style search platform.
The online giant is beta testing a new shopping feature on its app where it displays select products in its search results even if it doesn’t sell them in its store and links to the brand’s website so customers can purchase items there.
These products will show up in search results on Amazon alongside products sold directly on the site. Customers will be able to click on the link and go to the brand’s website to evaluate the product, see pricing and delivery options, and make purchases directly from that brand.
Google has allowed consumers to shop search results for products from various brands and retailers since 2002. In 2021, the company began displaying deals right on its Shopping tab, and has let retailers sell on its platform for free since 2020.
When customers who have access to the beta search for a brand and/or item, Amazon will show relevant products found in its store, as well as select products the retailer doesn’t carry that are available directly on another brand’s website.
Tapping on "see more" will direct customers to more results from that brand. When a customer clicks on a product that is sold in a brand’s store off Amazon, they will receive a notification they are leaving Amazon and will be redirected to the brand's website.
"We’re continuously working to expand selection and make shopping even more convenient for customers," said Rajiv Mehta, Amazon VP of search and conversational shopping. "We’re testing bringing more selection and brands into our search results to help customers find even more of what they want and further improve our shopping experience for customers."
If the brand has Buy with Prime-enabled products, Prime members can obtain fast, free delivery, streamlined returns, and 24/7 customer support for items purchased directly on the brand’s website. The Amazon "Buy with Prime" program enables U.S.-based Prime members to directly shop online stores beyond Amazon using their Prime benefits, available on its site.
This experience is currently live for a subset of U.S. customers in the Amazon Shopping app on both iOS and Android, and the company plans to roll out to more U.S. customers and incorporate more brands based on feedback. Amazon is not receiving any affiliate payments for sales that begin on its site.
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"We’re always experimenting with new ways to make it easier for customers to find products they want and need when they search in the Amazon Shopping app," said Mehta. "We know customers have many options for where to shop, and we look forward to customer feedback on this new experience as we work to further improve selection, value, and convenience."
