Amazon expands Alexa for Shopping to 100-plus actions

Amazon has expanded Alexa for Shopping to handle more than 100 shopping actions, adding tools for lists, subscriptions, delivery instructions and account questions, the company said. The capabilities are available to Amazon customers in the United States through the Amazon Shopping app and desktop website. The assistant can create, add to and edit shopping lists and registries, including grocery lists, baby registries and wish lists. Customers can also ask it to move items between lists or check what remains on a registry, according to Amazon’s description of the update. For Amazon’s Subscribe & Save service, Alexa can be asked to skip a delivery, pause a subscription or change how often an item arrives. The assistant can also update delivery instructions and help track orders. Amazon says it can answer questions about Prime benefits and other subscriptions, including when an Audible subscription renews. The new account-related functions include checking gift-card balances, asking about unfamiliar charges and seeking information about delayed refunds. The update is intended to let customers handle these tasks through conversational requests rather than navigating account and...