The capability of the internet to place millions of products at your fingertips, to search for the best price online, and to give you access to millions of reviews, has unleashed the bargain hunter in all of us.
I’m addicted, too, so when I was introduced to “social shopping” last year, I was more than enthusiastic to give it a go. If you’re sick of hearing of the current wave of “social networks“, social shopping probably sounds altogether naff. But it’s really not like that at all.
Social shopping communities are purpose-built web environments that are rich with recommendations on things you never knew about or even needed. It’s a world of discovery for hidden gems – and that’s where social shopping comes into its own. Over the web, niche products are much easier to get hold of, yet it’s sometimes still difficult to find exactly the product you’re picturing in your head.
Now, thanks to sites such as Kaboodle or ThisNext, you have easy access to hundreds of thousands of products that have already been discovered and given the thumbs-up by product connoisseurs.
How else would you learn about transparent toasters, or where to buy a Mix Tape USB drive? Gone are the days of traipsing around town… it’s like having an army of online personal shoppers at your disposal.
Taking it a step further are a handful of websites that provide more than just an environment for sharing, advocacy and discovery – they also provide a means to purchase the products easily, too.
About Kaboodle
Kaboodle is a social shopping community where people discover, recommend and share products. Kaboodle’s powerful shopping tools allow people to organize their shopping through lists, discover new things from people with similar style, get discounts on popular products and find best prices. At the heart of Kaboodle is a fun and engaging community of people who love to shop. Community members create and join groups, share advice, feedback and product suggestions and personalize their profiles with polls and other widgets. Kaboodle was launched in 2006 and has 500,000 registered users and over 6 million monthly visitors.
About ThisNext
ThisNext is an online media and social-shopping company where people recommend their favorite products for others to discover and purchase online. We are bridging the continents of offline media, brand advertising and e-commerce by building a media platform that supports the marketing lifecycle – awareness, consideration, trial and consumption. We blend two powerful elements of real-world shopping otherwise lost for online consumers: word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted sources and the ability to browse products in the way that naturally leads to discovery. ThisNext also features a suite of distribution tools for bloggers, online communities and commerce sites. ThisNext launched in August, 2006, and is a venture-funded Web 2.0 company based in Santa Monica, California.
Read more: Nebusiness.co.uk