Technology publisher The Information rattled the digital sector with a report suggesting that the vast majority of smart speaker owners have not used the devices to make a purchase, and the few who had tried voice-controlled shopping were unlikely to do it again.
Citing unnamed sources, The Information reported that only 2% of consumers who own an Alexa-enabled device have used it to make a purchase. Of that group, it said, 90% didn't try again.
The downbeat outlook for voice commerce stands in fairly sharp contrast to the rapid adoption of smart speakers. According to eMarketer's estimates, the number of smart speaker users in the US will reach 76.5 million in 2020, up from 43.9 million in 2017. Adoption has been so rapid, eMarketer sharply revised its estimate upward in April.