Amazon’s latest “Buy For Me“ feature is more than just a convenience upgrade—it’s a fundamental shift in how the retail giant approaches e-commerce. But to fully understand its significance, we must examine it alongside Amazon’s Nova Act, a broader initiative that underscores the company’s ambitions in AI-powered shopping. Together, these developments reveal Amazon’s long-term strategy: dominating the AI-driven retail landscape, even if it means breaking its own rules.

The “Buy For Me” Feature: Breaking Amazon’s Walled Garden

It’s been like several decades since Amazon’s cut-out ecosystem is meant to keep customers within the marketplace. Some of the pillars that have been its touch-points over the years include Prime membership, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), and Amazon Pay. These have ensured that all transactions-and, thus-the valuable data the transactions generate stay in Amazon’s domain.

Yet, “Buy For Me” shatters this model by allowing Amazon’s AI to purchase products directly from external websites when items aren’t available on Amazon. This is a radical departure from tradition, as noted by Scot Wingo, CEO of ReFiBuy and former ChannelAdvisor CEO, who called the move “bonkers” given Amazon’s historical aversion to letting shoppers leave its platform.

How “Buy For Me” Works

• Seamless Off-Platform Purchases: Users browse and buy from third-party brands without leaving the Amazon app.
• Expanded Product Discovery: The feature displays items not sold on Amazon, giving brands a way to reach Amazon’s audience without full marketplace integration.
• Data Retention: Amazon still captures purchase data, even if the transaction occurs elsewhere.

This suggests Amazon is willing to sacrifice short-term fees to maintain its role as the starting point for all shopping journeys—a critical advantage in the AI-driven future.

The Nova Act: Amazon’s AI Shopping Revolution

While “Buy For Me” is a bold move, it’s just one piece of a larger strategy: Amazon’s Nova Act. This initiative represents Amazon’s aggressive push into AI-powered commerce, ensuring it remains the dominant force as shopping behaviors evolve.

What Is the Nova Act?

The Nova Act (a term derived from internal Amazon projects and patents) refers to the company’s broader framework for AI-driven retail innovation, including:

1. AI Shopping Agents – Tools like Rufus (Amazon’s AI shopping assistant) and Alexa+ (a next-gen voice assistant) that guide purchase decisions.
2. Agentic Commerce – AI systems that autonomously find, compare, and buy products on behalf of users.
3. Cross-Platform Purchasing – Features like “Buy For Me” that allow transactions beyond Amazon’s marketplace.

Amazon’s patent filings, including those for Alexa+, reveal plans for conversational AI that can:

• Predict user needs before they search.
• Automatically reorder household essentials.
• Negotiate prices with sellers in real time.

This positions Amazon not just as a retailer, but as an AI-powered commerce orchestrator.

Why Amazon Is Willing to Disrupt Its Own Model

Amazon’s willingness to let shoppers buy elsewhere via “Buy For Me”—while still keeping them in its ecosystem—reflects a strategic calculation:

1. The Threat of AI Shopping Assistants

Competitors like OpenAI, Google, and startups like Operator are developing AI agents that could bypass Amazon entirely. If consumers start relying on third-party AI for product discovery and purchases, Amazon risks losing its dominance.

By integrating off-platform purchasing, Amazon ensures it remains the first touchpoint, even if the sale happens elsewhere.

2. Data Dominance in AI Retail

Amazon’s real advantage isn’t just transactions—it’s data. The more it knows about a customer’s shopping habits (even outside Amazon), the better it can:

• Optimize ad targeting (a $50B+ business for Amazon).
• Improve product recommendations.
• Anticipate demand trends.

As Jason Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis, noted:

“The bigger the share of a customer’s wallet they see, the better they can target ads. They also squeeze out other digital wallets. Get early signals on new product sales velocity, etc.”

3. The Innovator’s Dilemma: Sacrificing Today’s Profits for Tomorrow’s Control

Amazon is effectively disrupting itself before others can. By embracing open commerce (while still controlling the interface), it ensures it remains indispensable in an AI-driven future.

Implications for Brands, Retailers, and Competitors

For Brands:

• New Customer Acquisition: Brands can reach Amazon’s audience without fully listing on its marketplace.
• Direct Relationships Maintained: Unlike traditional Amazon sales (where customer data is limited), “Buy For Me” may allow brands to retain more buyer information.

For Competitors (Walmart, Shopify, Google):

• AI Shopping Wars Intensify: If Amazon successfully becomes the default AI shopping layer, competitors must accelerate their own AI commerce strategies.
• Advertising Battle: Amazon’s ad business could grow even stronger with off-platform purchase insights.

For Consumers:

• More Convenience: A single AI assistant handling purchases across the web.
• Potential Privacy Concerns: Amazon gains even more data on shopping behaviors.

The Future: AI as the New Retail Operating System

Amazon’s “Buy For Me” and Nova Act signal a future where:

• AI agents, not websites or apps, drive most purchases.
• Retailers compete to be the AI’s preferred supplier, not the consumer’s direct destination.
• Data, not just transactions, becomes the ultimate competitive moat.

Conclusion: Amazon’s Bet on AI-First Commerce

Amazon is no longer just a retailer—it’s becoming the operating system for AI-driven shopping. By breaking its own walled garden with “Buy For Me” and doubling down on AI with the Nova Act, Amazon is ensuring it remains at the center of commerce, no matter how shopping evolves.