Amazon expands visual search shopping to South Africa

Amazon has launched Amazon Lens for South African users, giving shoppers a new way to search for products using images instead of text. The feature lets users find items by uploading photos, screenshots, or scanning barcodes directly in the Amazon Shopping app.

How Amazon Lens works

Amazon Lens uses image recognition to identify products or visually similar items based on an image provided by the user. Shoppers can access the feature by tapping the camera icon in the app’s search bar. From there, they can upload an image from their phone, take a photo using the app’s camera, or scan a product barcode.

Once a search is completed, Amazon displays matching or similar products available on its platform. Users can narrow results using filters such as price, customer ratings, and delivery options, making it easier to compare items before purchasing. Amazon said tens of millions of customers worldwide already use the feature each month.

Circle to search and barcode scanning

Amazon Lens includes a “circle to search” tool designed for images that contain multiple items. Users can draw a circle around a specific object within an image, allowing the search to focus only on that product. This option works when images are uploaded from a device rather than captured through the live camera.

The barcode-scanning feature offers a quicker way to find exact products. By scanning a barcode, customers can pull up listings to compare prices, check availability, or reorder items they have previously purchased, without typing in search terms.

Improving product discovery

Amazon said the launch aims to simplify how customers find products, especially in situations where shoppers are unsure of a product’s name or description. By shifting search toward images rather than keywords, the company is targeting faster discovery and fewer steps between search and purchase, particularly on mobile devices.

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