And why your product pages need to start talking.

In early 2024, Amazon launched something that didn’t just catch attention — it quietly changed the rules of eCommerce: Rufus, their AI-powered shopping assistant. At first glance, it seemed like just another chatbot. But spend five minutes with it and you’ll realize—it is not answering questions, it is having a conversation. A smart one. One that sells.

If you are a D2C founder, growth marketer, or eCommerce lead, here’s the key insight: Rufus is not a gimmick. It is Amazon’s blueprint for the future of shopping.

And unless you are building for that future, you are slowly becoming part of the past.

So, what is Rufus?

Rufus sits inside Amazon’s app, ready to chat the moment you think of buying something—be it a yoga mat, a washing machine or a gift for your dad. You can ask it things like:

• “What’s a good laptop for college students?”
• “Compare Dyson and Shark vacuum cleaners.”
• “Which protein powders are good for weight loss?”

Rufus responds with context-aware, buyer-friendly insights: comparisons, suggestions, even reviews and key highlights. It doesn’t expect you to know the exact product name or filter by 20 attributes. It figures out what you mean, not just what you type.

Think of it as your personal shopping expert, available 24/7, trained on Amazon’s massive catalogue, customer reviews and behavioural patterns.

What makes Rufus brilliant?

Here’s what Rufus does better than most eCommerce sites:

• Understands shopper intent

It knows when you are exploring vs. comparing vs. ready to buy—and adapts the conversation accordingly.

• Answers in plain English

No specs, no jargon. Just “this one lasts longer, but that one’s cheaper and faster to charge.”

• Handles objections in real-time

Confused about warranty? Sizing? Delivery timelines? Rufus fills in the blanks instantly—before doubt becomes drop-off.

• Reduces choice overload

Rufus doesn’t dump 2,000 listings on you. It filters and recommends based on actual preferences and context.

The biggger picture: Amazon is changing the funnel

Rufus isn’t just about making search better. It is Amazon reimagining the entire shopping funnel.

Traditionally, eCommerce funnels are:

1. Top of funnel → Discovery via ads, search, influencers
2. Middle → Comparison, education, trust-building
3. Bottom → Add to cart, payment, checkout

Rufus compresses all three stages into one smart, conversational flow. That’s a massive advantage. Amazon isn’t just helping you find a product—it is helping you choose and buy it, faster than ever.

What this means for your D2C brand?

Here’s the tough truth:
Your customer expectations are being reshaped by Amazon.

They’re starting to expect every product page to behave like Rufus:

• Helpful
• Interactive
• Context-aware
• Personalized

If your store is still offering filters, specs and a chatbot that asks, “How may I help you?”, you are not just behind—you are invisible.

Bring Rufus—level intelligence to your store, with Toqi

We saw this transformation coming. That’s why we built Toqi—an agentic AI sales assistant designed for D2C and digital commerce businesses.

Toqi isn’t a chatbot. It is your top-performing sales rep—available 24/7, trained on your catalogue, policies, promotions and customer concerns.

Here’s what Toqi does:

• Understands shopper needs through smart, guided questions
• Recommends and compares products based on context
• Answers delivery, warranty and product-specific queries instantly
• Handles upsell, cross sell, nudges and hesitations without sounding pushy
• Learns from interactions to become better over time

It turns your product page into a living, breathing sales experience—just like Rufus does for Amazon.

A simple rule: If shoppers can talk to Amazon, they will expect to talk to You

This isn’t about mimicking Amazon. It is about keeping up with your customers.
If they’ve chatted with Rufus while buying something on Amazon, they’ll expect your site to offer the same kind of clarity and speed.

They’ll expect:

• Answers without waiting for human support
• Smart comparisons without reading 10 tabs
• A buying journey that feels natural and conversational

With Toqi, you don’t need to build an AI team or train a model from scratch. You can plug in an agentic assistant that feels like it was built just for your brand—and your shoppers.

You do not need Amazon’s scale. Just their smartness

Rufus is Amazon flexing its AI muscle. But you don’t need billions of dollars to compete. You just need the right AI assistant—one that understands your shoppers, speaks their language and helps them buy confidently.

That’s what Toqi delivers.

Curious to see Toqi in action?
Let’s talk. Your products deserve a pitch that’s personal, smart and persuasive.