Amazon expands a program that lets customers shop from other retailers’ sites

Amazon is significantly expanding its Shop Direct program, transforming it from a simple referral service into a powerful AI-powered shopping conduit. The retail giant now supports third-party product feeds from providers like Feedonomics, Salsify, and CedCommerce, giving its platform real-time access to inventory, pricing, and catalog data from merchants outside its own marketplace. This data fuels Amazon's core search results and its Rufus AI shopping assistant, allowing them to direct shoppers to a merchant's own website when Amazon doesn't stock the item. The program, which began beta testing in February 2025, is not limited to Buy with Prime partners, meaning a wide range of brands can gain exposure through Amazon's massive customer base.

The most significant new capability is the expansion of Amazon's 'Buy for Me' AI agent to work on these third-party merchant sites. When a customer finds a product via Shop Direct, this AI bot can handle the entire purchase process on the customer's behalf, navigating the external retailer's checkout. The customer simply reviews and confirms the order details—address, taxes, fees—before the AI completes the transaction using the customer's saved Amazon payment information. These orders are then tracked within the customer's Amazon account, either in the standard 'Your Orders' tab or a dedicated 'Buy for Me Orders' section, creating a seamless post-purchase experience.

While this offers merchants increased exposure and potential sales, it provides Amazon with invaluable competitive intelligence. By seeing which external products, brands, and price points customers are seeking and buying, Amazon gains deep insights into market trends, competitor performance, and potential partnership opportunities for its own Buy with Prime service. The move strategically positions Amazon not just as a retailer, but as the definitive starting point for all online product discovery and purchasing, regardless of where the final transaction occurs.