Voice commerce in the United States – statistics & facts
Voice commerce refers to using voice recognition technology to buy goods and services online. It allows consumers to make purchases through voice commands rather than manually typing out keywords on a computer or mobile device. With the help of a virtual digital assistant (VDA) such as Google Assistant, Siri, or Amazon Alexa, consumers can search and shop online. By 2023, the global value of voice-assistant e-commerce transactions is expected to amount to almost 20 billion U.S. dollars, growing fourfold the figure from 2021. With close to a third of households in the United States owning a connected device — such as smart speakers — voice commerce provides another channel for businesses to reach buyers and integrate their shopping experience with everyday life.
However, Alexa’s popularity is being challenged. The smart assistant faces competition on other devices, notably mobile phones, where Siri, Apple's voice assistant, and Google Assistant are popular options in the voice command market. Along with the challenges posed by competition from Apple and Google, in 2022, Amazon was not excluded from the mass number of e-commerce layoffs. Among the affected groups was the company’s devices and services organization, who are responsible for the oversight of products like Amazon Alexa and Amazon Echo.
The ultimate hands-free shopping experience?
More than 27 percent of U.S. consumers were making online payments with voice assistants in mid-2022. By delivering a hands-free shopping experience, voice commerce has emerged as a prevalent purchase option for consumers. The leading reasons for shopping with a voice assistant in the North American country included ease of use and a faster shopping experience. However, adaptation continues to be a challenge as browsing and purchasing items by voice creates new challenges. Overall, many consumers have varied attitudes regarding shopping online due to the absence of the ability to touch or see products before purchasing.Alexa, from trailblazer to downfall?
Amazon Echo, the smart speaker brand of e-commerce giant Amazon, accounts for more than two-thirds of the smart speaker ownership share in the United States. Echo is powered by the personal intelligence assistant Alexa, which responds to users whenever they use the word "Alexa". Dominant in the smart speaker market, it is no wonder that the virtual digital assistant is so popular. Among Amazon Echo users in the U.S., e-commerce was the most popular shopping category.However, Alexa’s popularity is being challenged. The smart assistant faces competition on other devices, notably mobile phones, where Siri, Apple's voice assistant, and Google Assistant are popular options in the voice command market. Along with the challenges posed by competition from Apple and Google, in 2022, Amazon was not excluded from the mass number of e-commerce layoffs. Among the affected groups was the company’s devices and services organization, who are responsible for the oversight of products like Amazon Alexa and Amazon Echo.
