Amazon shutters its Insta-like 'Spark' social network: Details here
What's the story
In a major move, Amazon has shuttered Spark, its Instagram-like social shopping network.
The service was launched a couple of years back as a platform where people could highlight their purchases and share them with the world.
However, it failed to take off against the likes of Instagram and Pinterest and has now fallen on the chopping block, TechCrunch reported.
Here are the details.
Working
How Amazon Spark worked
Amazon Spark debuted as a Prime-exclusive product back in 2017.
It worked as part of Amazon's website and app and allowed users to share the photos of their purchases - a move aimed at replicating the 'influencer' trend of Instagram.
The Spark feed also offered users an option to select interests and sift through, react or comment on purchases made by other Amazon shoppers.
Issue
But, it couldn't match other social networks
Spark aimed in the right direction, but it proved way too plain and solely focused on shopping.
The users had the option to tag the products available on Amazon with their posts, but that's just it.
There were no broader engagement features such as the ability to follow people or to share Stories with the public. This contributed to Spark's demise.
Disappearance
Now, there is no way to access Spark
While Amazon hasn't officially announced the killing of Spark, the feature has gone AWOL from the face of the internet.
The official URL dedicated to Spark now either redirects to #FoundItOnAmazon home decor-focused discovery platform or to recently viewed items and featured recommendations.
Notably, sources at Amazon told TechCrunch that the company plans to implement the lessons learned from Spark in #FoundItOnAmazon.
Reason
No word on the exact reason behind Spark's shut down
As Amazon hasn't clearly commented on Spark's fate, there is no way to tell why exactly the company shelved the service.
However, it is believed that apart from the lack of engaging capabilities, the app may have been removed due to the departure of Amazon VP of Consumer Engagement Chee Chew.
Chew was deeply invested in Spark and left for Twilio in early 2019.