Imagine scrolling through Amazon looking for a pair of running shoes, only to find they’re out of stock. Instead of giving up or going to Google, Amazon now offers to buy it for you—from the brand’s own website. Welcome to the world of “Buy for Me,” Amazon’s latest leap in AI-powered convenience.
Launched in April 2025, this new feature reflects Amazon’s ambitions to go beyond its marketplace and keep you shopping within its app, even if the product isn’t available on Amazon.
“Buy for Me” is an AI-driven shopping assistant embedded directly into the Amazon Shopping app. When a product isn’t available on Amazon but is available on a brand’s direct site, you’ll now see an option labeled “Shop brand sites directly.”
Clicking this opens a familiar Amazon-like product detail page. Tap “Buy for Me,” and the AI takes over: It goes to the external site, fills out your info, and places the order using your encrypted Amazon payment and shipping details. You never leave the app, and the AI does all the heavy lifting.
💬 “It’s like having a personal shopper who knows all your preferences, can navigate brand websites faster than you, and never forgets your shipping address.”
You’ll still get order confirmations and tracking through Amazon, but customer service or returns are handled by the original brand’s website. This hybrid approach blurs the line between marketplace and concierge.
The Brains Behind the Agent
This isn’t just a basic bot. It’s powered by Nova, Amazon’s internal AI platform, and Claude, the large language model developed by Anthropic (a key Amazon AI partner).
Together, they create an “agentic AI” system capable of performing multi-step tasks independently, like navigating external checkout pages, applying coupon codes, or selecting product variations.
Think of it as an AI with initiative. It doesn’t just answer queries it acts on them intelligently and securely.
🔐 “User data is encrypted, and privacy is baked in,” Amazon says, crucial in an age where people are increasingly protective of their digital footprint.
The tech also learns from user preferences, meaning future purchases can become even more seamless—though this also invites questions about how much autonomy we want to give our AI tools.
Why This Move Is a Big Deal for Amazon
At a glance, it might seem like Amazon is helping you shop elsewhere. But look closer—it’s actually a brilliant retention strategy.
Amazon knows that customers often leave the app and shop directly with competitors like Shein, Temu, or brand sites when an item is out of stock. “Buy for Me” keeps the user inside the Amazon experience, even if the final transaction happens elsewhere.
From a business standpoint, this move could also help Amazon build stronger B2B relationships. If brands see that Amazon drives additional traffic to their direct sites, it may help soothe long-standing tensions between the marketplace giant and independent retailers.
The AI Assistant Era
We’re entering an age where shopping could feel less like browsing and more like delegating. With Walmart also rolling out AI-powered tools and Google integrating AI into its Search Shopping features, the race is on to build the best virtual personal shopper.
“Buy for Me” is part of a larger trend toward agentic AI—tools that can act, not just recommend. These systems remove friction, anticipate needs, and make commerce more proactive.
That’s exciting and maybe a little unsettling. The challenge will be balancing convenience with control: consumers want to feel at ease and know what their AI is doing on their behalf.
The feedback in beta testing with a small group of U.S. users is mostly positive. Testers love the simplicity and the ability to stay within Amazon’s ecosystem even when the item isn’t sold.
However, the handoff between Amazon and the brand for post-sale service is a sticking point. If something goes wrong, wrong size, missed shipment, or return request, users are on their own with the external brand. Some testers found this confusing and less cohesive than the typical Amazon experience.
Expect Amazon to refine this experience before a wider rollout—perhaps even integrating limited support tools for third-party orders over time.
“Buy for Me” is more than a novelty. It’s a signal that AI is reshaping the buyer-seller relationship. No longer just a platform, Amazon is becoming a shopping orchestrator blending convenience, AI smarts, and reach.
For consumers, it promises fewer tabs, fewer logins, and fewer decisions. For brands, it’s both an opportunity (new exposure) and a challenge (less control over the customer journey).
🧠 In the long run, expect AI agents like this to go from “nice-to-have” to “table stakes.” And Amazon? It’s clearly positioning itself to lead that future.
