Amazon’s New 'Consult-a-Friend' Feature: Transforming Online Shopping into a real Social Experience

Amazon just unveils a social shopping facet, “Consult-a-Friend”, enhancing online shopping on its app by integrating trusted peer advice. Shoppers can now message friends, sharing a link to a product they’re eyeing. Friends can react with emojis and add remarks if wished.

Amazon aims to ease buying decisions through this feature. Recommendations from close ones are often highly valued, a fact supported by Amazon’s data. It revealed customers already share products using the app's “Share” button, which was hit “billions of times” this year alone across various platforms like messaging apps, social media, and email.

Building on this sharing trend, Consult-a-Friend is particularly useful in categories like apparel, electronics, or furniture, where more feedback is often sought. It’s timely launched before the bustling holiday season, aiding those in search of perfect gifts and desiring friends’ opinions on potential purchases for mutual acquaintances.

Upon using this feature, users activate the “Ask for your friends’ votes” button, choose their messaging app, and share the link. Friends, on receiving the message, are directed to the app to view the product, react with emojis or type a response.

However, friends must be signed into their Amazon account to respond, ensuring Amazon isn’t harvesting data from non-users. The feedback gathered is viewable within the app, providing a consensus to the inquirer.