Alexa+ shopping features launch today

Hey AI Enthusiast,

Amazon just turned Alexa into an e-commerce weapon.

New features dropped today that put your products in front of customers without them ever opening a browser.

Voice search. Screen displays. Kitchen-counter storefronts in millions of homes.

If you sell on Amazon, this changes your discoverability.

Alexa+ now has a shopping dashboard, last-minute order adds, and AI-powered gift recommendations. All designed to increase impulse purchases and reorders.

"Tens of millions" of customers in the U.S. and Canada have access starting today.

For e-commerce brands, that's tens of millions of new buying moments.

But the real Win Wednesday story is about the one community member who leveled up their AI workflow this week.

But first, today's prompt (then Dave's win...)

🔥 Prompt of the Day 🔥

Grand Opening Launch System

Act as a retail marketing specialist. Create one comprehensive grand opening campaign for [STORE/LOCATION] that drives foot traffic and maximizes opening day sales.

Essential Details:

• Store Name & Location: [BUSINESS NAME + FULL ADDRESS]

• Opening Date & Time: [DATE, TIME, DURATION]

• Grand Opening Offers: [DISCOUNTS/GIVEAWAYS/SPECIAL DEALS]

• Store Unique Features: [EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS/SERVICES/EXPERIENCE]

• Target Audience: [WHO SHOULD COME]

• Operating Hours: [DAILY SCHEDULE]

• Parking & Accessibility: [DIRECTIONS/TRANSIT/PARKING INFO]

• First 100 Customers Incentive: [SPECIAL BONUS IF APPLICABLE]

Create one multi-channel opening campaign including:

1. Attention-grabbing headline (creates urgency + excitement)

2. Opening date announcement (build anticipation, mention limited-time offers)

3. Grand opening exclusive deals (specific value, clear deadlines)

4. Unique store features highlight (what makes this location special)

5. Social proof elements (if applicable: "Join 500+ neighbors already excited")

6. Clear call-to-action (visit date, mark calendar, RSVP)

7. Direction assistance (maps link, landmarks, parking instructions)

8. Pre-opening hype builder (countdown, sneak peek, early access option)

Generate excitement that converts to foot traffic and first-day sales.

🎉 Win Wednesday 🎉

Dave Miller: Scaling Up Claude Projects

This week's win comes from Dave Miller.

"Upscaled my two new Claude projects Copywriters," Dave posted in the community.

This is what iterating on AI systems looks like.

Dave didn't just build one Claude project and move on. He built two. Then he upscaled both of them.

Most people use AI tools once and forget about them. Dave's treating his Claude projects like actual products. Building. Testing. Improving. Scaling.

The word "upscaled" matters here. It means Dave took something that worked at a small level and made it work at a larger level.

That's the difference between experimenting with AI and actually using it to build systems.

What "Upscaling" Actually Means

When you upscale a Claude project, you're not just making it bigger. You're making it more robust.

Could be:

• Handling more inputs

• Processing more complex tasks

• Integrating with more tools

• Serving more use cases

• Running more reliably

Dave's projects are copywriters. That means they're generating copy at scale. The upscaling likely means they're handling more volume, more variation, or more complexity than the initial versions.

Why This Win Matters

Most people treat AI like a curiosity. They try a prompt. Get a result. Move on.

Dave's building systems.

Two Claude projects. Both upscaled. Both functioning as copywriters.

That's infrastructure. That's leverage.

If those projects save him even 2 hours per day, that's 10 hours per week. 40 hours per month. 480 hours per year.

That's the equivalent of hiring a part-time employee. Except these projects don't take lunch breaks or call in sick.

The Pattern Behind the Win

Dave's win follows a pattern we see in the community members actually getting results:

1. Build something specific (not generic)

2. Test it in real use cases

3. Iterate based on what breaks

4. Scale it up once it works

5. Build the next one

Dave didn't build one perfect project. He built two imperfect ones and made them better.

That's faster than perfectionism.

What You Can Learn From This

If you're still experimenting with AI prompts, that's fine. But at some point, you need to build systems.

Systems are repeatable. Prompts are one-offs.

Dave's Claude projects are systems. They run. They produce output. They scale.

Ask yourself: What AI system could you build this week?

Not a prompt. A system.

Something you can run repeatedly. Something you can improve. Something you can scale.

That's how you go from "I tried AI" to "I built something with AI."

What's one small AI win you had this week?

Did You Know?

Scientists use AI to translate chicken clucks and discovered they have specific "words" for different types of threats, foods, and social situations.

🗞️ Breaking AI News 🗞️

The Full Story on Alexa+ Shopping Features

Amazon has been trying to get Echo owners to buy things through Alexa for years.

It hasn't worked. People use Alexa for timers, weather, music. Not shopping.

Amazon hasn't given up.

Alexa+ is getting new shopping features in the U.S. and Canada starting today.

Shopping Essentials Dashboard

Echo Show 15 and 21 devices now have a "Shopping Essentials" interface.

It's a shopping hub that shows:

• Real-time delivery tracking

• Recent order information

• Reminders about household essentials to reorder

• Shopping list and saved items

You can tap to see more products, add items to cart, and check out directly from the screen.

Access it by saying "Alexa, where's my stuff?" or "Open Shopping Essentials."

Soon, a shopping widget will be available for the Echo home screen.

Last-Minute Adds to Orders

New feature: add items to an upcoming delivery anytime until it leaves the warehouse.

This already exists on Amazon's website and app. Now it's on Alexa devices.

Useful if you're tracking a delivery and realize you forgot something.

For e-commerce sellers: this creates more opportunities for add-on sales. A customer tracking their order can add your product right before it ships.

Gift Recommendations

Alexa+ can now recommend gifts.

Describe who you're shopping for or the occasion. Alexa+ displays product suggestions on screen, organized by category.

This is Amazon using AI to drive more purchases through voice.

For brands: your products can now surface through conversational gift queries. "Alexa, what should I get my dad for his birthday?" might show your product.

Existing Shopping Features

Alexa+ already had:

Automated deal tracking - Set Alexa to alert you when items in your cart or list drop below a certain price.

Automatic purchases - If you enable this, Alexa immediately orders an item when it hits your target price.

These features make Alexa more transactional. Less assistant, more shopping agent.

What This Means for E-Commerce

If you sell on Amazon, your products are now discoverable through:

• Voice search ("Alexa, show me running shoes")

• Screen displays in kitchens and bedrooms

• AI-powered gift recommendations

• Automated reorder reminders

• Deal alerts when prices drop

Every Echo Show becomes a potential storefront for your products.

The Shopping Essentials dashboard means customers interact with Amazon's shopping ecosystem multiple times per day without opening their phone.

That's more browsing moments. More impulse purchase opportunities. More reorder triggers.

Adoption Numbers

Amazon says Alexa+ is available to "tens of millions" of customers.

The percentage of users who downgraded back to the AI-free interface? "Very low single digits."

Amazon is framing this as a win. Most people who try Alexa+ stick with it.

But "tens of millions" is vague. Amazon has sold over 500 million Alexa devices. If only "tens of millions" have Alexa+, that's a small percentage.

And "very low single digits" downgrading doesn't mean people love it. It might just mean they don't care enough to change it back.

Why Amazon Keeps Pushing Shopping

Echo devices don't make Amazon much money. They're often sold at cost or below.

The business model is getting people to buy things through Alexa.

More shopping through Alexa = more Amazon purchases = higher customer lifetime value.

That's why they keep adding shopping features. Delivery tracking. Last-minute adds. Gift recommendations. Deal alerts. Automatic purchasing.

They're building infrastructure to make buying through voice frictionless.

The Challenge

Voice isn't a natural shopping interface for most people.

It's great for: "Reorder paper towels."

It's terrible for: "Show me options for a new coffee maker under $100 with good reviews."

That second query works better on a screen. Which is why Amazon is pushing Echo Show devices with displays.

But if you're looking at a screen, why not just use your phone or computer?

Amazon is trying to make Echo Show the default shopping screen in your home. Kitchen counter. Bedroom. Living room.

Alexa+ is the software layer trying to make that habit stick.

Over to You...

Do you see Alexa+ shopping as a real opportunity for e-commerce brands or just Amazon hype?

Let me know your take.

To new sales channels,

Jeff J. Hunter 
Founder, AI Persona Method | TheTip.ai

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