Shoppers are increasingly using their voices to buy products online.
Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of voice-activated orders placed via its virtual personal assistant Alexa were three times greater during the 2018 holiday season than they were in the last year.
Meanwhile, Alexa was also called on “hundreds of thousands” of times to help folks find cocktail recipes: eggnog and Moscow Mules topped the list of most-requested drinks during the holidays.
The findings were part of Amazon’s (AMZN) announcement on Wednesday that its customers ordered more items worldwide this year than ever before. In the U.S. Alone, Amazon shipped more than one billion products for free through its Amazon Prime subscription service. Amazon retail partners that sell products through its online marketplace accounted for more than half of the items sold through the holidays.
Amazon has long been a destination for people shopping during the holidays. And while the company often highlights its own services—like Amazon Prime, or hardware like Amazon Echo—in statements touting sales figures, it also sheds light on what kinds of products customers were desiring over the holidays.
For instance, Amazon said that the L.O.L. Surprise! Glam Glitter Series Doll with 7 Surprises was its most popular toy this year, followed by the Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster.
On the electronics side, the Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones were tops, followed by Samsung’s 65-inch 4K UHD 8 Series TV. Apple’s 32GB Wi-Fi-only iPad was the third most popular electronic sold on Amazon during the period.
Moving to fashion, Amazon said that Carhartt clothing for men and women tallied more than 1 million orders. Amazon Essentials, Daily Ritual, and Goodthreads were also popular among clotheshorses.
