Amazon adds AI-powered merchandise design to its shopping app

On Monday, Amazon introduced a new feature within its Shopping app that allows anyone to design custom merchandise using AI prompts—which are text inputs used to generate content via artificial intelligence. Users can access the feature by tapping the Alexa icon in the bottom right of the Amazon Shopping app or by searching “customize” in the search bar and clicking the drop-down option. This interface allows users to describe their design ideas to Alexa and see the generated design. Users can then edit the design by clicking on suggested actions or by typing in changes. Once finalized, these results can be shared with friends or family, allowing everyone to add the product to their own Amazon shopping carts.

Once a design is selected, Amazon handles the production and delivery of the items through Prime shipping. The designs are printed on physical items through Merch on Demand, Amazon’s print-on-demand service, which is a business model where products are printed only after an order is received. This integration positions Amazon as a competitor to online merchandise and print-on-demand platforms, including Redbubble, Bonfire, Spring, and Fourthwall. While traditional print-on-demand businesses have typically catered to creators and organizations, Amazon’s new feature could make AI-designed merchandise become just another shopping option. The feature is free to use, as customers only pay for the physical products themselves.

The service supports a variety of physical products, including:

• Apparel such as T-shirts, V-necks, long-sleeve shirts, polo shirts, quarter zips, jerseys, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, and raglans
• Drinkware including tumblers and water bottles

Currently, the option is only available in the U.S. Amazon suggests the service could be useful for printing one-off designs, such as T-shirts for a family reunion, a personalized gift of some type, or a product featuring a portrait of a pet. However, the tool’s reliance on generative technology has broader implications. Artists whose work has been used to train AI models may be less enthusiastic about this type of idea, of course.

Why it matters

This launch integrates AI-generated merchandise directly into Amazon’s shopping ecosystem, lowering the barrier for consumers who want to turn ideas into physical products but lack traditional design skills. By making custom creation a default shopping option, the feature could shift print-on-demand from a creator-centric niche into a mainstream consumer habit.