Amazon kills ‘Inspire,' its TikTok-style feed for discovering products

Core Insights - Amazon is shutting down its "Inspire" feature, a short-form video and photo feed that allowed users to discover and shop products [1] - The decision comes as Amazon evaluates features based on customer feedback, indicating a shift in strategy [1] - The shutdown occurs amid TikTok's uncertain status in the U.S., suggesting a missed opportunity for Amazon to capture a segment of shoppers seeking product reviews [1] Group 1 - Amazon has made partnerships with social media platforms like Instagram and Snap to enhance shopping experiences, reducing the necessity for its own short video feature [2] - Inspire was launched in 2022 during the rise of social commerce, but faced challenges in attracting content creators [2][3] - The feature faced backlash in August 2023 when Amazon's compensation for creators was deemed insufficient, leading to low content publication [3] Group 2 - The company highlighted alternative ways for customers to find inspiration, such as creator storefronts and curated collections [4] - New AI features, including a shopping assistant named Rufus, were introduced to enhance the shopping experience [4] - Amazon is testing a feature that redirects shoppers to other brands' websites for products not available on its platform, indicating a broader strategy to improve customer experience [5]