Ruling the computer shopping world wasn’t enough for Amazon. Thanks to its new TextBuyIt service, customers can search the retail giant from anywhere… including, just as an example mind you, brick-and-mortar stores. Is Amazon specifically hoping to pluck price-comparing shoppers out of real world aisles? “We think they’ll use the product…wherever they happen to be,” said Amazon’s director of mobile payments.
While other retailers have offered such a service before, none can rival Amazon’s massive catalog. Text a product name, UPC code, or ISBN number to 262966 (A-M-A-Z-O-N), and it’ll quickly return your top two search results. From there, you text back the number of your preferred product, or “M” for more. Decide to buy, and someone will call to complete the sale. (More Amazon.com stories.)