Amazon Inspire video and photo feed available in the U.S.
- Amazon Inspire, its in-app content platform, has launched nationwide.
- The platform shows users a custom feed of videos and photos with shoppable links to products.
- It comes as social media platforms — namely TikTok, Instagram and YouTube — shift their e-commerce strategies.
Inspire, Amazon’s in-app content shopping platform with a TikTok-esque interface, has launched to all consumers in the U.S.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to RetailLeader that Inspire finished rolling out in the U.S. at the end of April. As RetailLeader previously reported, the service first started rolling out to Amazon shoppers late last year.
Once shoppers click the lightbulb icon at the bottom of the Amazon app, they’ll be taken to a scrollable feed with photos and videos, according to Amazon. Products are tagged within the media content itself, which allows shoppers to view products by clicking on small icons at the bottom of the screen. From there, consumers can learn about the product, add reviews and ultimately, add it to a shopping cart without leaving the Inspire interface.
“We invent every day to make shopping easy and fun,” said Oliver Messenger, director of Amazon Shopping, in a December release sent to Retail Leader. “Inspire is our new shopping experience that connects Amazon customers with shoppable content created by other customers, the latest influencers, and a wide range of brands. In just a few taps, customers can discover new products or get inspiration on what to buy, all tailored to their interests, and then shop for those items on Amazon.”
According to Amazon, no two Inspire feeds are identical. The e-commerce giant says feeds are tailored to individuals based on “many preferences,” including the videos and photos shoppers like in Inspire. Consumers have dozens of options to browse content, including baking, cats, clearing, family travel, farmhouse decor, men’s style, skin care and yoga.
The retailer said any Amazon shopper can have content appear in Inspire through product reviews, which appear when consumers look for more information about products featured in the Inspire tab. People who are enrolled in Amazon’s influencer program can have their videos and photos posted on their influencer storefront featured in Inspire, and brands enrolled in Amazon’s brand registry can also have qualifying photos appear in the Inspire tab, the retailer said.
The move comes as social media platforms tweak their tools related to retail to adapt to shifting social commerce behaviors. YouTube last month killed a beta program that paid creators to post shoppable links in favor of a commission-driven program. Meta-owned Instagram earlier this year removed the shopping tab from the home feed of its app. Instagram also recently sunset a tool that allowed creators to tag products in their livestream videos.
TikTok, meanwhile, has increased its e-commerce ambitions in the U.S. The social media company earlier this year began testing in-app shopping with select retailers and merchants, such as Pacsun and KimChi Chic Beauty, RetailLeader reported. TikTok plans to roll the feature out more broadly later this year.
While social commerce hasn’t been as popular in the U.S. as it has been abroad — especially in Asia — the industry still has an impact domestically. According to a 2022 survey from DISQO, 51% of U.S. consumers who watched live or recorded shopping videos on social media made a purchase, compared to 27.2% who said they had not.