Amazon and Flip Aim to Bring the Social Aspect back to Shopping

Amazon has released a new social aspect to its storefront, and the app Flip has also established itself as a social shopping experience. For many of us, shopping was a more social endeavour 20 years ago. But of course, with the huge explosion of online shopping, it’s now something a lot of us simply do at home online, or on-the-go on our phones. But the use of technology for shopping, doesn’t mean it can’t still be a social experience, we are starting to see. 

Flip is an app that allows for greater communication and chat about the products on its platform between its users. If you’re on the app, you earn rewards for the more legitimate reviews you leave behind, and for giving feedback on other people’s reviews. You can either make full video reviews on the platform. The app says it’s not “just about the goods, but the good times.” 

The idea is to make shopping a social and collaborative experience again, just like if you were browsing a department store, or local boutique on the high street. And Flip is finding success, with over 100k downloads on android and 40k ratings on the Apple Store. It continues to attract new customers and brands to exist on its platform and its new way of shopping. 

Additionally, the biggest online shopping site of them all, Amazon, is thinking along the same lines. In a recent blog – Oliver Messenger, Director of Amazon Shopping unveiled the new “consult-a-friend” feature on the website. You can send a custom version of a product page url to your friends and family on whatever messaging platform you prefer – and they will be able to select an emoji to show their disapproval or love of the item. They can also leave a comment too. Say you’re looking to buy for a friend, you can canvass your other friends about whether your chosen item fits the bill or not. 

There are lots of things that have moved from the physical world to online, and in doing so, lost the social aspect. But humans are inherently social creatures, so it’s fascinating to see how that is being bought back through technology and innovation. Whether it’s friend finding, book recommendations, or shopping.