Amazon launches buy-by-text option

Amazon has taken its consumer’s buying capabilities a step further with the introduction of a buy-by-text service.

by Helen Leggatt

Consumers wandering the aisles of a bricks and mortar store can now compare prices of products with those sold on Amazon and, if suitable, purchase them then and there. All this can be done using Amazon’s recently released TextBuyIt option.

By texting Amazon with a product code, ISBN number etc., consumers who have signed up for the TextBuyIt option via their online account can compare Amazon prices with those on the shelves. Amazon reports that the process takes under 1 minute to complete.

This probably isn’t great news for offline stores who rely on traditional shoppers to empty their shelves. Now, those same shoppers who own a cell phone can check Amazon for prices and decide whether to buy online or at the store.

Howard Gefen, director of Amazon Mobile Payments, thinks the TextBuyIt option will also facilitate impulse buys. "With TextBuyIt, if you're walking out of a concert and want to buy a CD from the artist you just saw, or if you're at dinner and a friend tells you about a great book you should read, all you have to do is get out your mobile device, send a text message to Amazon, reply to the response, confirm your order, and your item will be on its way," he said.

A similar service already exists, although it services around 75 retailers across a wide range of products. mShopper, who are currently seeking new merchants, allows its users to search through their retailer database to compare prices among retailers such as Apple, Wal-Mart.com and Home Depot.