Amazon is broadening the availability of its Shop Direct initiative, enabling U.S. shoppers to find and purchase items not listed in its primary online marketplace. The company announced on Wednesday that it will now accept third-party product feeds. These feeds allow merchants to share real-time details about their stock, pricing, and catalogs with external platforms. By integrating this data, Amazon can guide users from its search results or its Rufus AI shopping assistant directly to a merchant's own website, and even facilitate AI-powered purchases. Initial support includes feeds from providers Feedonomics, Salsify, and CEDCommerce, granting Amazon immediate access to merchant inventory and product details. Additional feed providers will be incorporated over time, and a dedicated merchant portal with a direct feed option is reportedly launching soon.

This program follows a beta test launched in February 2025, which introduced a feature linking customers to a retailer's site when Amazon's own search did not yield the desired product. Shoppers could view product information on Amazon before clicking through to the external site to examine pricing, delivery options, and more. Clear notifications informed customers they were leaving Amazon's domain to prevent any confusion about the seller.

The initiative is open to a wide array of brands and is not restricted to those using Buy with Prime, which allows checkout with saved Amazon payment details. While participation can significantly increase a brand's visibility and sales potential, it also provides Amazon with valuable insights into popular products, brands, and pricing trends among consumers. This data could inform Amazon's strategic decisions, such as analyzing competition, spotting market trends, identifying potential Buy with Prime partners, and reinforcing its position as the primary destination for product searches.

Amazon has also extended its Buy for Me service to third-party merchant sites. This feature employs an AI agent to manage the entire purchase process on the customer's behalf. Shoppers need only review and confirm their order details—including delivery address, taxes, shipping, and payment—on the checkout page. Amazon's AI then completes the transaction directly on the merchant's website. These orders can be tracked alongside standard Amazon purchases in the "Your Orders" section or within a dedicated "Buy for Me Orders" tab. The Shop Direct program is currently active for U.S. customers on Amazon.com, within the Amazon mobile app, and through the Rufus AI assistant.