Amazon expands program enabling cross-retailer shopping
Amazon is broadening the reach of its "Shop Direct" program, which allows U.S. shoppers to find and purchase items not available in its main online store.
The retail giant announced on Wednesday that it will now accept third-party product feeds. These feeds are used by merchants to share real-time data about their inventory, pricing, and product catalogs with partners. With this information, Amazon can guide shoppers directly to a merchant's own website through its search results or its AI shopping assistant, Rufus, and even enable AI-powered purchases.
Amazon has integrated support for feeds from providers like Feedonomics, Salsify, and CEDCommerce, giving it live access to merchant stock and product details. Support for additional feed providers is planned, and a dedicated merchant portal with a direct feed option is reportedly launching soon.
In February 2025, Amazon started beta testing a feature that would link customers to a retailer's website when a desired product wasn't found in its own search results. Shoppers would see product information on Amazon but could click through to the retailer's site for more details, price checks, and delivery options. A clear notification informed customers they were leaving Amazon's site to avoid confusion about the seller.

Image Credits:Amazon
The program was available to a wide array of brands and was not restricted to those using "Buy with Prime," which allows checkout with payment details saved on Amazon.
While appearing on Amazon can significantly increase a brand's visibility and sales potential, it also provides Amazon with valuable insights into popular brands, products, and pricing. The company could leverage this data to enhance its own operations by analyzing competitors, tracking market trends, identifying potential "Buy with Prime" partners, and more.
This initiative further strengthens Amazon's position as the primary starting point for online product searches.

Image Credits:Amazon
Amazon also states it now supports "Buy for Me" on third-party merchant sites. This feature uses an AI agent to complete purchases on the customer's behalf.
The AI bot manages the entire purchasing process. The customer only needs to review and confirm the order details on the checkout page, including the delivery address, taxes, shipping fees, and payment method. Amazon's AI then finalizes the transaction on the merchant's website using the provided information.
Shoppers can track these orders in their standard "Your Orders" section alongside Amazon purchases, or in a dedicated "Buy for Me Orders" tab.
The Shop Direct program is now active for U.S. customers on Amazon.com, within the Amazon mobile app, and through the Rufus AI assistant.
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Amazon is broadening the reach of its "Shop Direct" program, which allows U.S. shoppers to find and purchase items not available in its main online store.
The retail giant announced on Wednesday that it will now accept third-party product feeds. These feeds are used by merchants to share real-time data about their inventory, pricing, and product catalogs with partners. With this information, Amazon can guide shoppers directly to a merchant's own website through its search results or its AI shopping assistant, Rufus, and even enable AI-powered purchases.
Amazon has integrated support for feeds from providers like Feedonomics, Salsify, and CEDCommerce, giving it live access to merchant stock and product details. Support for additional feed providers is planned, and a dedicated merchant portal with a direct feed option is reportedly launching soon.
In February 2025, Amazon started beta testing a feature that would link customers to a retailer's website when a desired product wasn't found in its own search results. Shoppers would see product information on Amazon but could click through to the retailer's site for more details, price checks, and delivery options. A clear notification informed customers they were leaving Amazon's site to avoid confusion about the seller.

Image Credits:Amazon
The program was available to a wide array of brands and was not restricted to those using "Buy with Prime," which allows checkout with payment details saved on Amazon.
While appearing on Amazon can significantly increase a brand's visibility and sales potential, it also provides Amazon with valuable insights into popular brands, products, and pricing. The company could leverage this data to enhance its own operations by analyzing competitors, tracking market trends, identifying potential "Buy with Prime" partners, and more.
This initiative further strengthens Amazon's position as the primary starting point for online product searches.

Image Credits:Amazon
Amazon also states it now supports "Buy for Me" on third-party merchant sites. This feature uses an AI agent to complete purchases on the customer's behalf.
The AI bot manages the entire purchasing process. The customer only needs to review and confirm the order details on the checkout page, including the delivery address, taxes, shipping fees, and payment method. Amazon's AI then finalizes the transaction on the merchant's website using the provided information.
Shoppers can track these orders in their standard "Your Orders" section alongside Amazon purchases, or in a dedicated "Buy for Me Orders" tab.
The Shop Direct program is now active for U.S. customers on Amazon.com, within the Amazon mobile app, and through the Rufus AI assistant.
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