For the first time in three years, Yandex has expanded the Alice voice assistant with new capabilities that let users order food and everyday goods via voice through the Lavka service. The update was reported by Kommersant, a major Russian daily. This marks a notable shift toward hands-free shopping within the Yandex ecosystem, aligning with trends in voice commerce seen worldwide over the past decade.
In conversations with compatible smart devices, users will be able to assemble a shopping list by simply speaking items, without needing to specify every product. For instance, saying milk will trigger Lavka to add items based on the user’s purchase history and preferences. The final step requires completing the dialogue and then confirming the purchase on a linked mobile device when a notification appears, creating a streamlined, touch-free checkout flow.
Yandex indicated that voice shopping through Lavka would launch in Russia’s two largest cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, starting on September 28. The rollout is planned to begin in the northern capital as well, with Lavka users in St. Petersburg gaining access soon thereafter. At present, customers can already place orders from Yandex.Market using the Alice assistant, reflecting the company’s broader strategy to integrate voice commerce across its marketplace portfolio.
Industry voices note that the concept of voice shopping emerged globally around 2017 and 2018, but its broader adoption has been uneven. Analysts point to challenges such as user trust, privacy concerns, and the friction of payment confirmations on mobile devices as factors that influence uptake. While the technology shows promise for convenience, it requires a seamless user experience and robust personalization to achieve sustained growth among diverse consumer groups in North America and beyond.
In related developments, Yandex announced a new line of televisions featuring built-in voice control during August, replacing the traditional remote with voice-assisted navigation. This move underscores the company’s emphasis on natural language interfaces as a core element of its consumer electronics strategy. The broader industry climate continues to reflect mixed signals about the pace of hardware and software convergence in everyday digital life, as microchip and supply chain dynamics impact product availability and pricing for both consumers and manufacturers.