On Social Shopping
In the world of e-commerce everyone is buzzing about social shopping. Some believe its already here, others expecting it to become the new big thing in the nearest future.
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First of all lets define what social shopping is. As Wikipedia puts it:
“Social shopping is a method of e-commerce where shoppers’ friends become involved in the shopping experience. Social shopping attempts to use technology to mimic the social interactions found in physical malls and stores. With the rise of mobile devices, social shopping is now extending beyond the online world and into the offline world of shopping.”
Sounds pretty optimistic, doesn't it?
But frankly how far we are with all that cool and exciting experience.
There are different categories of social shopping, but I’d like to focus on a list of examples from fashion/clothing retailers that are well settled and familiar to everyone.
1. Big fashion retailers
Surprisingly 10 out of 10 largest fashion e-commerce players still rely on email only share option for wishlist. Even more — to create, save and share wishlist you have to be registered and logged in.
For the rest social factor is limited to simple ‘like’ or ‘pin’ button assigned to every product.
Some try to experiment with reviews, but even brands like Nike are struggling to get proper feedback for every single item. In addition rating and reviews systems bring more issues and expenses, in terms of moderation, multilingual audiences and more.
2. Social Networks
Giants like Facebook and Pinterest have more of a ‘Shopping on social networks’, instead of ‘social shopping’. There is a significant difference — they provide platforms for sellers (including product info and checkout). Its kind of a box solution, which is literally solving a lot of operational problems for private and small scale businesses. Though it leaves pre and after sale, including delivery, return and support to the seller. Cross and Up sale options are quite limited as well.
We have to admit that for products with digital distribution the situation is much more appealing.
3. Recommendation / Aggregation engines:
Gilt, Etsy, SVPPLY, Yoox or fresh from the oven Wanelo (want-need-love) in my opinion represent the most developed social shopping experiences and provide the following list of features:
- Possibility to literally follow and see what your friends or/and so called fashion influencers favourite and buy;
- Aggregated and curated collections of products, brands and shops;
- Invitation and affiliate programs;
- Rewards and bonuses that can be used among the group of people;
- Guidance or feedback driven mechanisms allowing you to get help from the experts or the audience on fit, style and more.
4. Shared or co-shopping experience
Shortly: Co-shopping enables two (or more) shoppers to explore a store, view products, and chat about them.
It seems to be mimicking what people used to do offline. But is it what we really expect from e-commerce in the modern world?
Its time to be prepared full scale for the Generation Z, not even Millennials. Generation that has been born internet connected; that uses any kind of messaging three times more than calling on their smartphones. Therefore it is expected to be a different kind of social
Summary
There is still plenty of room for improvement and innovation, both in e-commerce as a platform and a service.
Here are the three areas that in my opinion going to bring more immersive social shopping experience than ever:
- Social networks provide a tool or an API that will allow to broadcast what products have been added by users to their wishlists and shopping carts. Similar to updates on songs listened via Spotify or Shazam;
- Omni shopping extended by the use of wearables;
- Location based mobile ads, guidance and help.
Photography by Mark Sanders. © PAUW
