Amazon Launches Consult-a-Friend: Revolutionizing Online Shopping with Social Collaboration

Amazon is thrilled to announce the global launch of Consult-a-Friend, a transformative feature designed to enhance the online shopping experience by integrating social collaboration directly within the Amazon Shopping app. As of January 30, 2024, this feature is now accessible to customers in a broad array of countries, including the U.S., Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, UAE, and the UK, making shopping more interactive, engaging, and informed.

In the digital age, shopping decisions are increasingly influenced by recommendations from friends and family, recognized as one of the most trusted sources of advice. Recognizing this trend, Amazon developed Consult-a-Friend to simplify the process of gathering opinions on potential purchases. This feature is a direct response to the insight that customers extensively utilize the “Share” button within the Amazon Shopping app, demonstrating a clear preference for collaborative decision-making.

Consult-a-Friend is especially beneficial for selections in categories such as apparel, shoes, electronics, and furniture. It proves invaluable during the holiday season or for special occasions, where buying the perfect group gift requires consensus. For example, if you're struggling to choose a gift for a family member with particular tastes, Consult-a-Friend allows you to easily gather and organize feedback from your circle, ensuring the gift you choose is a hit.

How Consult-a-Friend Works:

1. Initiate a Consultation: Find a product you're interested in and tap the “Share” button. For first-time users, activate the feature by switching the “Ask for your friends’ votes” button to on. Choose your messaging app and the friends you want to consult.
2. Gather Feedback: Friends receive a prompt to view the product in the Amazon Shopping app and can respond with an emoji reaction (😍, ☹️, or 🤔) and optional commentary.
3. Review Responses: Easily view the overall sentiment and detailed comments from your friends within the app, streamlining your decision-making process.

This feature is part of Amazon's commitment to making online shopping as convenient, personalized, and social as possible. By leveraging the collective wisdom of one's personal network, Consult-a-Friend empowers customers to make purchases with confidence, whether they are at home or on the move.

In addition to Consult-a-Friend, Amazon recently introduced Inspire, an in-app feature that offers a new avenue for discovering products through influencer and brand-created content. With the addition of the “Create” option, users can now contribute their own content, further enriching the community-driven shopping experience.

Amazon continues to innovate in creating more engaging and collaborative shopping environments, with Consult-a-Friend and Inspire leading the way in transforming how customers interact with products and make purchasing decisions.