Amazon has announced the expansion of its ‘Shop Direct’ program, allowing more merchants to participate and offer products not available on Amazon’s online store. Through third-party product feeds from companies like Feedonomics and Salsify, Amazon can now direct customers to other retailers’ websites for purchases, utilizing search results, AI shopping assistant Rufus, and AI-enabled purchasing options.
The move, initiated in February 2025 with beta testing, aims to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience by connecting them to retailers’ sites when desired products are not found on Amazon. By offering this feature to various brands, Amazon can not only increase brand exposure and potential sales but also gain valuable insights into customer preferences, competitive products, and market trends.
This expansion could position Amazon as a central hub for product discovery and consumer behavior analysis, potentially influencing its business strategies and partnerships in the future.
Source: TechCrunch