Amazon Alexa voice purchases up 13.5% this quarter
Amazon Alexa users bought 13.5% more products using the device's voice technology in Q3 2017 than in Q2, figures show. The figure increased 7.5% in the previous quarter of this year, according to a study by Linc Global and Rakuten. The same companies also showed a surprisingly high 60% upsell rate, with consumers buying more items from the same brand after their initial Echo purchase. The statistic indicates that Alexa could prove a key marketing platform, said James Lee, an analyst at Mizuho Securities.

The Echo Plus looks premium, and almost identical to the original

Amazon 's Alexa voice technology is helping consumer brands sell more, according to a recent study, underscoring its potential as a major marketing platform.



The study, run by Linc Global and Rakuten, shows that Echo owners increased their purchases of consumer products, like diapers, by 13.5% in the third quarter of 2017, up from the 7.5% jump seen in the second quarter of this year. Those companies also saw an unusually high 60% upsell rate, meaning the consumers bought more products from the same brand after their Echo purchase.

"This study indicates that voice search has a positive impact on sales of standardized products," James Lee, an analyst at Mizuho Securities wrote in a note published Wednesday.

The broader takeaway, according to Lee, is that Alexa's voice technology could turn into a major marketing platform for consumer brands. For example, the note says Pamper diapers could build an Alexa app that recommends re-orders of previous purchases or new products based on past shopping history.

Amazon is also testing a new service that would potentially let customers order products from the consumer brand's Alexa app and pick up at local retailers, according the Mizuho note.

"Alexa's voice platform provides a powerful marketing channel for brands to sell direct," Lee wrote in the note.

Related: If Apple is serious about Siri, it needs to compete on Amazon's turf