Amazon Offered Special Prime Day Deals To Customers Ordering Via Alexa

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Prime Day spotlights Amazon’s artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant.

For Amazon Prime Day 2016, Amazon offered up a list of exclusive special deals to those customers who ordered via Alexa. Among the special offers were $10 discounts off their first eligible order over $20 when they shopped using the voice shopping platform. Customers can also access other offers by asking, “Alexa, what are your Prime Day deals?” or by visiting amazon.com/AlexaDeals.

Amazon’s Alexa promotions demonstrate that Prime Day is definitely all about promoting Prime membership as well as Amazon's growing array of devices, at least as much as the event is about merchandise sales per se.

The company recruited tech YouTube tech vlogger Austin Evans to tout Alexa and “her” Prime Day deals and Amazon also boasts a vice president of voice shopping, Assaf Ronen.

“The day has come where you no longer have to visit a screen to shop. I can be standing in my kitchen, when I realize I am almost out of coffee and simply say, ‘Alexa, order Starbucks coffee’ and it shows up at my door within two days,” explained Assaf Ronen, Vice President Voice Shopping. “Our Alexa speech science engineers have made something so incredibly challenging appear effortless to customers. And we are so excited for Prime members to try it.”

Amazon announced that its 2016 Prime Day will be July 12, and customers are already chomping at the bit. Last year, Prime Day went out of control. U.S. sales surged 93 percent while European sales rose 53 percent on that day, according to online retail tracker Channel Advisor. This year, Amazon is making larger preparations for the blowout half-year holiday sale, according to USA Today. And the online retailer will be launching new eclectic deals as frequently as every five minutes.