Shop.com Adds Social Retailing Features

Women’s online shopping mall Shop.com has gone social according to Internet Retailer by adding new features to their site including a blog, gift registries for multiple stores, and interestingly, a Facebook shopping application. Social Retailing is a really hot button for many shopping web sites as it encourages users to shop and exchange information online with their friends.

“As online shoppers are becoming increasingly more efficient in communicating, connecting, and sharing online, we are constantly reviewing and updating our existing offerings as well as developing and testing new features to help our customers shop more efficiently and more enjoyably,” says Mondy Beller, senior vice president of marketing. She adds that the company is eager to see “how these elements over time will help build communities for our shoppers.”

Many companies are developing applications that run on the social network Facebook, so it is interesting that Shop.com has developed a Facebook application. This tol will allow Facebook users to search Shop.com, add products to their wish lists, view their friends’ Shop.com wish lists and share product information.

This is a good first step into social retailing and social marketing that Shop.com is taking. The blog, dubbed The Shopping Vine, features “fashion-forward” apparel, unique gadgets and household items. The blog will be updated five times a week, and will include a Shopping Pick of the Week. Future plans include adding guest expert bloggers, surveys and polls. By starting off with a manageable blog (ie only one post a day), the blog will be able to develop without putting a lot of strain on existing Shop.com resources.