Amazon is shutting down “Inspire,” its TikTok-like, short-form video and photo feed that was previously available in its mobile app. The feed allowed users to discover products and shop from content created by influencers, brands, and other customers.
A company spokesperson confirmed the move to TechCrunch, saying “We regularly evaluate various features to better align with what customers tell us matters most, and as part of that, Inspire is no longer available.”
It’s an interesting time to shut down a feature that closely mirrored TikTok, especially as the Bytedance-owned platform faces uncertainty in the U.S. Inspire could have served as an alternative for American shoppers seeking product reviews from TikTokers.
However, Amazon has made inroads on other social channels, lessening the need for its own short video feature. For instance, it partnered with Instagram in November 2023 to make it easier to shop its retail website directly inside the Meta-owned app. It also teamed up with Snap to let users buy its products from social ads around the same time.
Inspire was originally launched in 2022 amid the gradual rise of social commerce.
However, the feature sparked controversy in August 2023 when Amazon tried to attract creators to the feature by inviting select influencers to submit videos. The company offered $12,500 for a maximum of 500 videos or $25 for each qualifying video. However, many creators felt that this compensation was too low.
Another possible reason for Inspire’s shutdown is that not enough creators were publishing content, as they could earn more revenue on other platforms.
While the company spokesperson didn’t further explain the reasoning behind the shutdown, they pointed out the other ways in which Amazon customers could still get inspiration, including from Amazon’s creator storefronts, curated collections, and more.
They also mentioned its new AI features like its shopping assistant, Rufus, which launched last year.
“Beyond Amazon, we know that customers look for inspiration and product recommendations in social feeds, and we’re innovating to make shopping for Amazon products more enjoyable through seamless social media integrations,” the spokesperson added.
Notably, Amazon is testing a new feature that redirects shoppers to other brands’ websites if they search for a product not available on Amazon.
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