Amazon has tried—and failed—not once, but twice to integrate social shopping into its ecosystem. The first attempt, Amazon Spark, was launched in 2017 and operated until 2019. This platform was designed to allow users to share and discover products through a social media-like interface, where customers could post images and recommendations, creating a community of shoppers. However, despite its innovative concept, Amazon Spark struggled to attract a significant user base and engagement, leading to its eventual discontinuation. More recently, Amazon introduced Amazon Inspire, a new feature aimed at enhancing the shopping experience through curated content and social interactions.
Unfortunately, this initiative also met a similar fate, as it was shut down in early 2024 due to underwhelming performance and lack of traction among users. Despite having one of the largest digital footprints in the U.S., with millions of active users and a robust e-commerce infrastructure, Amazon has faced considerable challenges in making its social commerce initiatives resonate with consumers. This raises intriguing questions about the viability of live shopping and social commerce in Western markets.
Shoppers today are increasingly seeking personalized experiences, authenticity, and community engagement in their purchasing decisions. Amazon's attempts at social shopping may have fallen short in delivering these elements effectively, leading to a disconnect between what the platform offered and what consumers desired. Lets dig into this further.
The Amazon Spark & Inspire Experiments
Amazon Spark, launched in 2017, was an attempt to create an Instagram-like experience within the Amazon app, where users could share product recommendations and photos in a social feed. However, engagement was low, and by 2019, Amazon quietly pulled the plug.
Even then, I thought there was true potential in making it easy for customers to see what their trusted circle of friends and other 'like' shoppers had to say about products. After all, WOM was key and we had just started to see social platforms take off. There were some pretty basic community building and engagement features missing to draw consumers in when they weren't spearfishing for a specific item.
Amazon Inspire, its second attempt at social shopping, debuted in late 2022 as a TikTok-style video feed designed to drive product discovery. This time, I had my money on them figuring it out. Millions of dollars were thrown at creators to get the flywheel going and build a user base of content makers so that they could test and learn how customers would engage in the app and how that social proof content would drive shopping behaviors. Once again, the feature failed to gain traction, with Inspire being shut down in early 2024.
Amazon had every reason to win in social commerce if it could convince even 10% of its massive app user base to engage. Let’s look at the numbers:
While Instagram had a comparable number of U.S. users to Amazon in 2019, it was already an established social commerce hub, with 50% of its users following brands and 61% trusting influencer recommendations. Amazon, by contrast, struggled to turn even a fraction of its app users into social shoppers.
What Does This Mean for the Future of Social Selling in the West?
The failure of Spark and Inspire raises important questions about the viability of live shopping and social commerce , led by retailers, in Western markets:
Is live shopping just not a Western phenomenon?
Should Amazon stop trying to bring social into shopping and instead bring shopping into social?
Is Amazon making a play to buy TikTok?
The Bottom Line
Amazon's struggles with social shopping highlight the challenges of changing consumer behavior at scale. It also points out the importance of community, engagement, and empowering people to interact with the content and each other. That is the true value that these social platforms bring to one another.
Despite all of this, it is essential to recognize that Amazon is not stepping back but rather refocusing its efforts on a vital aspect of its ecosystem: the creator community. Through its influencer program, Amazon is actively embracing creators, providing them with the tools and resources needed to thrive. This initiative reflects a commitment to fostering creativity and collaboration, which can only enhance the shopping experience for consumers.
The influencer program is a strategic move that empowers individuals to share their unique perspectives while promoting products they genuinely believe in. This approach not only strengthens the connection between brands and consumers but also allows creators to monetize their influence in a meaningful way. By prioritizing this relationship, Amazon is positioning itself as a leader in social commerce.
And lets not forget about the whispers surrounding a potential acquisition of TikTok signal Amazon's forward-thinking mindset. By exploring opportunities to integrate short-form video content into its platform, Amazon could enhance its social shopping experience, making it more dynamic and engaging for users. This would not only level the playing field with competitors but also provide creators with even more avenues to showcase their talents.
So, as we look ahead, it’s clear that 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for affiliate commerce. With Amazon's renewed focus on creators and the potential for innovative partnerships, the future holds great promise for both influencers and consumers alike.