Ocado has become the first UK supermarket to launch an app for Amazon Alexa in a move away from traditional grocery shopping.
The app, designed for use with Amazon’s voice-controlled personal assistant, will allow customers to order groceries to their homes simply by giving a voice command to their Amazon Echo speaker.
It will also suggest both appropriate and previously bought items, helping customers to shop more easily, as well as providing recipe inspiration and advising on which products are currently in season – a potentially useful function for chefs and foodservice companies.
In addition, users will be able to add a product to an existing order or basket and keep track of an order by asking: “Where’s my order?”
Lawrence Hene, marketing and commercial director at Ocado, said: “Grocery shopping should be quick, easy and convenient. Using voice technology, we’ve made it even easier by developing our new app that will enable our customers to add to their Ocado baskets without lifting a finger.
“Consumer demand for increasingly convenient ways to shop is growing rapidly and we’re excited to be the first supermarket in the UK to offer this technology, making customers’ lives ever easier. Alexa will add any item to your Ocado basket simply by asking her to do so. It’s as easy as that.”
Online shoppers can download the app via their Amazon accounts.
