Lady LUX

Shopping search and comparison engine Twenga has just unveiled a new feature, “social shopping,” designed to close the gap between social networks and the products the site sells online by allowing users to enlist the advice of their contacts when considering buying an item, reported FashionUnited.

So this is how the new feature functions. Before making that crucial decision on whether or not to make a purchase, users on Twenga can access quality buying advice from their network. So now, when you like an item, the question is not just “Should I buy?” to yourself, but “What do you think of this product?” to your pals. Users can engage friends in debate on Facebook or Twitter after publishing their question, photo, product description and price, and find out an answer. The new feature was a response to statistics that show retailer customers’ demands have not been satisfied through social networking facilities.

Giving a sense of walking the high street, the new attribute can be used on more than 350 million items, drawing from 160,000 online shops on the Twenga website. These impressive numbers make Twenga the first price comparison website to offer social shopping on such a scale.

“Combining the power of social networks with the size, depth and width of Twenga’s assortment of products is a powerful breakthrough in the Internet business,” Bastien Duclax, CEO and co-founder of Twenga, said to FashionUnited. ‘“Providing instant interaction with social networks gives online shoppers the opportunity to turn to the friends or family members they trust most.”

Making a social networking move just makes sense in today’s digital climate. When you consider the millions of Facebook users (USA Today reports more than 517 million as of October 2010) and the high numbers of online shoppers, there is plenty to space to boost business through integrating social networking options.

Since its inception in 2006, Twenga has grown to offering goods from retail sites in more than 15 countries. Last year, the sites achieved 45 million visits. Visitors can discover top fashion brands such as Karen Millen and French Connection by visiting its website at www.twenga.com.

Tagged in: advice, facebook, twitter, social shopping, feature, twenga, social networking,