Blog

Shoe-shopping with Friends in 10 Steps or Less

September 8, 2010 by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Think of it as a virtual shopping trip where all your friends can offer their opinions and advice, even though they are not there.

This is the idea behind DoTogether.com, a site launched Sept. 7 that allows shoppers to pool their collective merchandise knowledge on Facebook, while retailers gain from the conversation.

The key here is collaboration. Shoppers log on through Facebook, enter the type of item they are interested in (shoes, camera, skis) and then invite friends to offer their opinions and suggestions on brands, prices, etc.

Meanwhile, DoTogether.com invites retailers to hang their shingle within Facebook, where respective fans can share product information. Among the retailers on board is Amazon.

For these retailers, the collaboration offers something most important: shopper data. It also provides some insights as to what products are being discussed and recommended. This, in turn, could lead to retailer rewards that will ideally increase purchasing

The biggest benefit for consumers is the ability to get instant feedback from Facebook friends – once they connect. Getting on board was a bit clunky for me. It took a few attempts to finally get my search for women’s shoes at Amazon to result in several pages of running shoes, sandals and a pair of black gladiator heels ($16.99 – originally $106.99).

Alas, they were not in my size.

DoTogether.com, as young as it is, will probably work the little kinks out. Shopping is a social activity, after all. But it should be fun, too.