Amazon, Google Voice Assistants Quickly Gaining PopularitySales of the devices are increasing, suggesting retailers may need to optimize for both.

[Collection]Retailers and brands need to start strategizing for voice shopping, if they’re not already. New research from Slice Intelligence, an online shopping analysis firm, found that unit sales of Amazon’s Alexa-powered voice assistant devices and Google’s similar Google Home devices grew 78 percent last year, compared with 2016, more than doubling the number of the devices inside homes. Ken Cassar, vice president and principal analyst at Slice, said the unit sales growth is “blisteringly strong” and noted that demographics of people purchasing them is expanding beyond the typical early tech adopter. While buyers of voice-controlled speakers during 2015, the first full year the technology was available, were 72 percent men, nearly half of which were between the ages of 35 and 54 with a higher than average income, now men only account for 60 percent of buyers, and the age group has expanded, too. In 2017, 35- to 54-year-olds only made up 33 percent of Alexa and Google voice device buyers and buyers with an income of more than $100,000 also fell to 31 percent from 37 percent. The biggest demographic gains were seen in the 25 to 34 age group and the 18 to 24 age group and buyers making less than $50,000

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