Amazon has officially shut down "Inspire," its short-form video and photo feed that allowed users to discover products and shop from content created by influencers, brands, and other customers. The feature, which was launched in 2022, was available in the company's mobile app and closely mirrored the popular social media platform TikTok.

A company spokesperson confirmed the move, stating that Amazon regularly evaluates its features to better align with customer priorities. The shutdown of Inspire comes at an interesting time, as TikTok faces uncertainty in the U.S. market. Inspire could have served as an alternative for American shoppers seeking product reviews from TikTokers, but Amazon has made significant inroads on other social channels, lessening the need for its own short video feature.

For instance, Amazon partnered with Instagram in November 2023 to enable seamless shopping experiences directly within the Meta-owned app. Additionally, the company teamed up with Snap to allow users to purchase its products from social ads. These integrations have likely reduced the need for Amazon to maintain its own short-form video feature.

Inspire was initially launched amid the rise of social commerce, but it sparked controversy in August 2023 when Amazon attempted to attract creators to the feature by offering $12,500 for a maximum of 500 videos or $25 for each qualifying video. Many creators felt that this compensation was too low, which may have contributed to the lack of content published on the platform.

Another possible reason for Inspire's shutdown is that not enough creators were publishing content, as they could earn more revenue on other platforms. The company spokesperson did not provide further explanation for the shutdown, but highlighted other ways in which Amazon customers could still get inspiration, including from Amazon's creator storefronts, curated collections, and more.

The spokesperson also mentioned Amazon's new AI features, such as its shopping assistant, Rufus, which launched last year. Furthermore, Amazon is testing a new feature that redirects shoppers to other brands' websites if they search for a product not available on Amazon.

In a statement, the company spokesperson emphasized that beyond Amazon, customers look for inspiration and product recommendations in social feeds, and Amazon is innovating to make shopping for its products more enjoyable through seamless social media integrations. This shift in focus suggests that Amazon is prioritizing its partnerships with existing social media platforms over maintaining its own short-form video feature.

The shutdown of Inspire marks a significant shift in Amazon's approach to social commerce, as the company continues to explore new ways to enhance the shopping experience for its customers. As the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Amazon's new strategies play out in the market.