If you’re anything like me, you’ll know that shopping alone – whether on or offline – can sometimes be a very lonely endeavour. And I don’t just mean that in a physical sense. There’s a reason why shopping is considered a social activity: sometimes, a second opinion is all you need to hear (or read) before making any sort of purchase. I’m pretty sure that’s how the fitting room selfie came about, anyway.
In any case, the social aspect of online shopping is exactly what Singapore-based creators of new app KIV are attempting to bring back with this social shopping mobile app. The app (available free for iOS users) lets users browse fashion items from not only KIV’s partnered stores, but also online stores with a strong local following like Zalora and ASOS. They can then select items which they like, and create personalised, curated feeds or wishlists.
The whole browsing experience is made simpler with a feature that allows shoppers to view trending or latest items from their preferred brands. They can also compare similar products across brands so that they get the best deals. The main appeal of the app, though, has got to be the feature which allows shoppers to comment, and get opinions from fellow shoppers about particular products.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, the team behind KIV is also working on features like ‘price drop’ alerts, as well as exclusive promotions that users of the app will receive. Users can also expect to be able to buy directly from KIV in the future, with a universal shopping cart already in the works.
This app is coming at a time when the merging of online and retail shopping is just starting to take off in Singapore. With developments like Zalora’s click-and-mortar store launching at ION Orchard, it seems as though social shopping might just become the next big step in the online shopping scene. And in a country as wired up as Singapore, an app like KIV could definitely work.
I, for one, am definitely glad I don’t have to take another awkward fitting room selfie again, just to ask a friend’s perspective. After all, if I’m already getting second opinions for things like my health, then what more for fashion, right?