Amazon Expands ‘Shop Direct’ to Let Users Buy From Other Stores

Amazon is widening the scope of a shopping program that allows customers to discover and buy products from retailers outside its own marketplace. The initiative, called Shop Direct, is designed to help shoppers find items even when they’re not available directly on Amazon’s platform.

The company announced Wednesday that it will begin supporting third-party product feeds, a tool many online retailers use to share product details such as inventory levels, prices, and catalog information with external platforms. By tapping into these feeds, Amazon can show items from other retailers in its search results or through its AI shopping assistant, Rufus. In some cases, customers may even be able to use AI to complete the purchase.

To make this possible, Amazon has added support for product feeds from platforms like Feedonomics, Salsify, and CedCommerce. These services provide Amazon with real-time access to retailers’ product listings and inventory data. Amazon also said that more feed providers will be supported in the future. The company is also planning a new merchant portal that will allow retailers to connect their product feeds directly to Amazon.

The expansion builds on a feature Amazon began testing in February 2025. During the beta phase, customers searching for a product that wasn’t available on Amazon could see results that linked to the retailer’s own website. Shoppers could view basic product information on Amazon first, then click through to the retailer’s site to learn more, check the price, or see shipping options.

To avoid confusion, Amazon clearly notifies customers that they’re leaving its platform before completing a purchase on an external website.

Interestingly, the program isn’t limited to brands using Buy with Prime, Amazon’s checkout feature that lets customers pay with their saved Amazon payment details on other websites. Instead, the initiative is open to a broader group of brands.

While appearing in Amazon’s search results could give retailers a major boost in visibility and sales, the arrangement may also provide valuable insights for Amazon itself. Access to product feeds and customer search data could help the company understand which brands, products, and price points are attracting attention. That information could potentially guide Amazon’s own retail strategy or help identify new partners for Buy with Prime.

At the same time, the move strengthens Amazon’s position as a starting point for online product searches, even when the final purchase happens elsewhere.

Amazon is also bringing another AI feature into the mix: Buy for Me. This tool allows an AI agent to handle the checkout process on a third-party merchant’s website. After the customer confirms details such as their delivery address, shipping fees, taxes, and payment method, Amazon’s AI completes the purchase on their behalf.

Orders made through this system appear in the same “Your Orders” section where customers track their regular Amazon purchases, as well as in a separate “Buy for Me Orders” tab.

For now, the Shop Direct program is available to customers in the United States through Amazon.com, the Amazon mobile app, and the Rufus AI assistant. If successful, it could reshape how shoppers discover products across the web — with Amazon sitting right at the center of the experience.

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