Amazon Shuts Down Inspire: Implications for Influencer Shopping and the Future of Social Commerce

Amazon has officially shut down Inspire, the TikTok-style shopping feed it introduced in late 2022. Inspire was built into Amazon’s mobile app as a continuous scroll of product photos and videos posted by influencers and brands, aiming to blend social media entertainment with instant shopping. Less than two years after launch, Amazon confirmed in February 2025 that Inspire is “no longer available” in the shopping app. The feature’s quiet demise raises questions about why Amazon’s foray into influencer-driven social commerce didn’t pan out, how its shutdown impacts influencers and brands, and what this means for the future of social commerce overall.

Amazon’s Inspire interface on the mobile app. Users first selected interests to personalize their feed (left). The feed (center) displayed short-form videos and photos of products from creators, similar to TikTok. Tapping on a product brought up a pop-up with product details and an “Add to cart” button, leading seamlessly to the standard Amazon product page (right). The goal was to let users discover and buy products in one scroll-friendly experience.

Why Did Amazon Shut Down Inspire?

Lack of Traction with Users: From the start, Inspire struggled to catch on with Amazon’s shoppers. It looked like an appealing mix of affiliate marketing and short-form video, but it “struggled to catch on as a shoppable hub” in practice according to Tubefilter. Amazon’s core customers are used to searching for specific items on the app, not casually browsing video feeds, and early analyses predicted this challenge. As one industry analyst noted when Inspire launched, Amazon risked coming off as “too contrived or commercial” by trying to mimic TikTok’s vibe inside a shopping app.  In other words, Inspire was “Amazon dressing up as TikTok” – a hybrid that never quite captured the magic of either platform. This likely led to tepid user engagement (our “compressed funnel” of discovery-to-purchase wasn’t compelling enough for most shoppers).

Difficulty Attracting Creators: A social feed lives or dies by fresh, engaging content – something Amazon had trouble securing for Inspire. Reports emerged that Amazon was offering influencers well below market rates for content: around $25 per shoppable video (featuring 2+ products) at a time when influencers on other platforms averaged about $212 per video. This bargain approach made it challenging to entice creators to consistently populate Inspire with quality posts. An Amazon spokesperson even acknowledged they were seeking a “steady stream of fresh videos” in mid-2023 according to PYMNTS. Without enough creator buy-in, the feed couldn’t deliver the endless entertainment that keeps users scrolling. Other Amazon social commerce experiments faced similar issues – for example, some influencers gave up on Amazon Live (the company’s live-stream shopping platform) after struggling to build an audience on the Amazon app.

Shifting Strategic Priorities: Amazon has been quick to pivot when a project isn’t yielding returns. “We regularly evaluate various features… and as part of that, Inspire is no longer available,” an Amazon spokesperson explained. In typical Amazon fashion, if a new initiative doesn’t reach a certain scale or ROI threshold, it gets cut according to Localogy. In Inspire’s case, Amazon appears to be reallocating focus to areas customers value more – notably, artificial intelligence-driven shopping tools. The in-app message announcing Inspire’s shutdown actually pointed users to try Amazon’s new AI assistant “Rufus” and other AI-powered discovery features instead. This suggests Amazon sees more promise in personalized search and chatbot recommendations than in a bespoke social feed. One retail consultant noted that Inspire likely failed to convert Amazon users into the kind of impulse shoppers that fuel TikTok’s success according to Modern Retail. Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy has also signaled a “laser-focus” on AI across the business, with massive investments going into AI initiatives in 2024-2025. Simply put, Amazon decided to bet on algorithms over influencers for driving product discovery.

Not Becoming a Social Network: Perhaps the clearest reason is that Amazon realized it isn’t a social media platform – and doesn’t need to be. Shoppers weren’t visiting the Amazon app for entertainment, and trying to graft a TikTok-like experience onto Amazon’s utilitarian shopping interface proved awkward. “Shoppers just don’t turn to Amazon for entertaining content”, observed Sky Canaves, retail analyst at eMarketer. Amazon itself acknowledged that customers prefer to get product inspiration on established social networks and that it’s better to meet them there. Instead of trying to compete head-on with TikTok or Instagram inside its own app, Amazon has opted to “partner with the major ones”. In fact, in August 2023 Amazon struck a deal with TikTok to let users buy Amazon products directly within TikTok – marrying TikTok’s engagement with Amazon’s fulfillment without forcing users to switch apps. All told, Inspire “always felt like a pale imitation of TikTok”, and Amazon cut its losses to refocus on what it does best (online retail and AI) rather than trying to cultivate a social media community from scratch.

Impact on Influencer-Driven Shopping

Amazon Inspire’s shutdown is a reality check for the role of influencers within Amazon’s ecosystem. The feature was explicitly designed to give influencers and content creators a new channel to reach Amazon’s shoppers and earn commissions according to Retail Touch Point. Its demise means influencers will no longer have a built-in Amazon feed to showcase shoppable videos, but in practice the impact may be limited. Here’s why:

• Influencers Pivot Back to Established Platforms: Even when Inspire was live, many creators were primarily using popular social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) to promote products and then funneling shoppers to Amazon via affiliate links or their Amazon storefronts. That indirect model remains intact – and arguably is now the only game in town for Amazon-focused influencers. Rather than producing exclusive content for a niche Amazon feed, influencers can concentrate on content for the apps where they already have loyal followings, and continue to link to Amazon products through affiliate programs. Amazon’s own Influencer Program still allows creators to curate “creator storefronts” with product recommendations and earn from any sales. Those storefronts, along with Amazon’s Associate links, ensure influencers can drive shopping traffic to Amazon without needing Inspire. In short, influencers will put their effort where the eyeballs are (TikTok, Instagram, etc.) and leverage Amazon as an e-commerce back end, which is exactly what they were likely doing anyway.
  

• Brands and Sellers Refocus Their Social Strategy: For brands that sell on Amazon, Inspire was an experimental way to get in front of customers through entertaining content. With it gone, brands will lean more on external influencer partnerships and Amazon’s traditional channels. Many brands already collaborate with influencers on social media to showcase their Amazon-sold products (e.g. a makeup brand might sponsor TikTok creators who then link to Amazon for purchase). That approach doesn’t change. Additionally, brands can invest in Amazon’s advertising and search optimizations to capture shoppers when they come to Amazon intentionally. Amazon suggests that interest-based product feeds, curated collections on Amazon, and the AI shopping assistant will carry the mantle of inspiration for shoppers browsing on its site. Essentially, brands will target consumers on social networks for discovery, then close the sale on Amazon either via ads or organic presence, rather than relying on Amazon to generate discovery via Inspire.
  

• Amazon’s Retail Media Wins: Interestingly, by sunsetting Inspire, Amazon reinforces the importance of its retail media business – i.e. the ads and shopping integrations it powers on other platforms. If influencers now stick to promoting products on TikTok or Instagram, Amazon still benefits whenever those posts drive sales on Amazon, often through sponsored links or Amazon ads. In fact, Amazon’s partnerships enabling direct purchases from social apps (like the TikTok integration) mean Amazon captures sales without hosting the content itself. This could be a more efficient model: let TikTok, Instagram, and others handle content and community, while Amazon handles the transaction and maybe pays for the referral. Canaves points out that allowing users to buy Amazon products through major social platforms is ultimately “a boon” to Amazon’s ad and e-commerce business. Amazon doesn’t need to own the influencer content channel as long as it owns the shopping cart at the end of the journey. So, paradoxically, influencer-driven shopping on Amazon may thrive even more now, because creators will double down on the channels that actually engage people, using Amazon links and ads to monetize that content.
  

• Lessons for Future Initiatives: The failure of Inspire also teaches Amazon and others that social commerce has to feel authentic. Influencer-driven shopping works when the audience is in a discovery mindset (like scrolling a favorite social app) – not when it’s forced into a context where the user intent is different. Amazon will likely apply this lesson to any future features: if they try another social commerce experiment, it might need to be more deeply integrated into a social platform or come at a different angle (perhaps more curated and less “feed”). For now, Amazon is still keeping some social commerce alive through Amazon Live (its live streaming platform) which remains active on the site. However, without Inspire, Amazon Live and posts will likewise rely on influencers to draw audiences from outside, since Amazon’s native social audience remains limited. Influencers who were early adopters of Inspire will simply migrate their efforts to where they get more traction, ensuring that influencer marketing as a whole continues unabated – just not within Amazon’s walled garden.

Alternative Platforms for Influencers and Brands

The end of Inspire doesn’t mean the end of shoppable social content – far from it. Influencers and brands have a wealth of other platforms and tools to connect with shoppers and drive e-commerce. Here are some key alternatives where the influencer-driven shopping model is thriving:

• TikTok: The reigning champion of social commerce innovation, TikTok has been rapidly expanding its shopping features. TikTok Shop (launched in the U.S. in 2023) allows users to buy products directly within the app, and it’s rolling out to more markets like Europe and Brazil. TikTok’s algorithm excels at product discovery – viral “TikTok made me buy it” trends drive millions of sales. With TikTok integrating directly with Amazon for fulfillment on some ads, brands can leverage TikTok’s entertainment factor and still use Amazon as the purchase platform. In markets like the U.K. and Southeast Asia, TikTok Shop has already seen huge success. For influencers, TikTok remains a top channel to showcase products via short, catchy videos and earn affiliate commissions or retailer partnerships. The potential U.S. regulatory threats to TikTok (a looming ban) have not stopped its e-commerce push yet, and Amazon’s withdrawal of Inspire may indicate they’d rather cooperate than compete with TikTok in this arena.

• Instagram: Instagram has been a cornerstone of influencer marketing for years, and it still offers robust shopping capabilities for brands and creators. While Instagram removed the dedicated “Shop” tab from its home navigation in early 2023 to simplify the app, it emphasized that shopping features aren’t going away. Users can still shop via product tags in feed posts, Stories swipe-ups, Reels, and even through DMs with the pay-in-chat feature. Many influencers use Instagram to post styled product photos, reviews, or short Reels demonstrating products, with direct links to purchase according to Retail Dive. Brands maintain Instagram Shops on their profiles, and the platform supports in-app checkout for a seamless experience. Instagram’s shift shows an integrated approach: rather than a separate shop section, shopping is woven into content organically. This plays to Instagram’s strength – visual inspiration – without forcing users into a distinct “commerce mode.” For influencers and brands, Instagram remains a go-to for building lifestyle narratives around products and driving sales through engaged communities. (It’s worth noting that Meta has scaled back some initiatives, like shutting down Facebook’s live shopping feature in 2022, focusing instead on content formats like Reels that attract more eyeballs. Still, Facebook and Instagram combined reach billions of users, and even a fraction of that audience shopping translates to significant sales.)
  

• YouTube: Known for long-form reviews and unboxing videos, YouTube is increasingly a shopping influencer platform as well. Creators often include Amazon affiliate links in their video descriptions for everything they feature – a practice that predates social commerce buzz. Now YouTube is adding more shopping-centric tools: shoppable product tags in videos and Shorts, integration with Shopify for live inventory, and an affiliate program for Shorts creators. For example, a tech reviewer on YouTube might demo the latest gadget and viewers can click directly to purchase the item, whether via Amazon or another retailer. YouTube’s strength is viewer trust and depth of content; people often watch 10-minute reviews before deciding to buy. Brands are keen on sponsoring YouTube content or partnering with influencers because of that high intent audience. With Amazon Inspire gone, brands will continue to rely on YouTube influencers to drive educated purchases, linking out to Amazon product pages or their own sites. YouTube’s massive user base (over 2.5 billion logged-in monthly users) and its move into Shorts (competing with TikTok) make it a vital platform for social commerce. In the U.S., YouTube was used by about 9% of digital buyers for purchases in 2022 according to Tidio (versus 12% for Instagram and 8% for TikTok), and those numbers are expected to grow as YouTube ramps up shopping features.
  

• Pinterest: As a visual discovery engine, Pinterest naturally overlaps with shopping, and many influencers (especially in home, fashion, DIY niches) use it to drive sales. Pinterest allows product pins that link directly to retailer websites, and it has a native shopping interface where users can browse “Shop” tabs by category or from their own saved pins. Influencers create Idea Pins (its story-like feature) with product tags, which are shoppable. For brands, Pinterest is a goldmine for targeting users in planning or inspiration mode – think someone planning a wedding or a living room makeover, browsing for ideas and ready to buy what they see. Pinterest has reported that hundreds of millions of its pinners engage with shoppable content. While not as buzzworthy as TikTok, Pinterest consistently converts viewers to buyers due to the high intent of its searches. With Amazon Inspire gone, Pinterest stands as one of the more “inspiration-first” platforms where consumers actively seek product ideas. Brands selling on Amazon often upload their catalogs to Pinterest or work with Pinterest influencers to showcase products that link to Amazon listings. This way, Pinterest effectively fills some of the “discovery” role that Inspire was supposed to play, but on a platform users visit expressly to get inspired.
  

• Facebook and Others: Facebook remains the single largest social platform and continues to facilitate a lot of commerce, particularly through Facebook Marketplace and Groups, as well as via its feed and Shops. In 2022, an estimated 63.5 million Americans bought something via Facebook – a figure projected to reach 80 million by 2025. This makes Facebook the current leader in U.S. social commerce usage. Influencers typically use Facebook in tandem with Instagram (given they’re both Meta), posting content to Pages or Groups. Additionally, newer entrants and niche platforms offer options: for example, Snapchat has partnered with Amazon to offer AR-enabled try-ons (like letting users virtually try on sunglasses and then buy on Amazon), and it continues to explore social commerce through AR Lenses and Spotlight content. LTK (LiketoKnowIt) and similar reward-style apps provide a hub where influencers can post shoppable photos and link out to retailers (including Amazon), giving devoted followers a one-stop shop for influencer recommendations. Live stream commerce apps (popular in Asia) such as Popshop Live, NTWRK, or brand-owned streams are also trying to gain traction in the West. While none have yet become dominant, the space remains dynamic. Influencers and brands will choose the platforms that best fit their audience – whether that’s making a dance challenge on TikTok that sells out a product, a detailed review on YouTube that drives high-value purchases, or a styled photo on a shopping app. The key is that there’s no shortage of alternatives now that Inspire is off the table.

The Future of Social Commerce

Amazon’s Inspire shutdown comes at an inflection point for social commerce. On one hand, the concept of shopping directly through social content is booming globally; on the other hand, companies in the U.S. are recalibrating how to execute it effectively. So, what does the future hold?

Continued Growth (Global and Gen Z Driven): All signs point to social commerce growing rapidly worldwide. A report by Accenture projected that global social commerce sales would reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, growing three times faster than traditional e-commerce from 2021 levels. This explosive growth is largely driven by younger consumers (Gen Z and Millennials) who are expected to account for 62% of that spending. These digital-native shoppers are very comfortable discovering and buying products through social media. We’re already seeing this in Asia where social commerce is deeply embedded – for instance, an astonishing 84% of social media users in China have bought something through social platforms, and conversion rates via features like live-stream shopping can be 10x higher than on standard e-commerce sites. The U.S. is catching up: social commerce sales in the U.S. were about $64 billion in 2023 and are expected to roughly hit $80 billion by 2025. So the pie is growing; the question is how it will be divided among platforms and what approach will work best in different markets.

Platforms Refine Their Strategies: The mixed outcomes of various social commerce experiments mean we’ll likely see refined, not abandoned, strategies. Meta, for example, learned that a dedicated Shop tab wasn’t the best approach for Instagram, but shopping within content is powerful – hence their focus on shopping via Reels, Stories, and ads rather than a standalone shopping section. They also found live commerce didn’t resonate in the U.S. (leading to Facebook Live shopping’s shutdown) , whereas in Asia live-stream selling is huge. So Western platforms might lean more into short-form video and targeted product drops rather than long live-stream marathons. TikTok is a wildcard; it’s pushing the envelope with TikTok Shop and could mainstream in-app purchasing for younger users. If TikTok’s model succeeds in the U.S. and Europe, other platforms might reintroduce more commerce features (we could imagine Instagram reviving some live selling features, or YouTube making live shopping events a bigger component, to compete). Conversely, if TikTok Shop struggles, it may validate the more cautious approach others have taken.

Amazon’s Role – Commerce Backbone vs. Content Player: Amazon shutting Inspire signals that it sees itself more as a commerce backbone than a social content player. Don’t expect Amazon to try launching another social feed in the near term (unless a major competitor’s absence, like a TikTok ban, creates a vacuum – even then, experts think Amazon would try a variation only if conditions change. Instead, Amazon will double down on improving the shopping experience through technology (AI personalization, search, virtual try-on, etc.) and through partnerships. Amazon wants to be the place where all these social discoveries convert into purchases. By integrating with TikTok, Snapchat, and others, Amazon can capture social commerce spend without hosting the social experiences itself. We may also see Amazon enhance its influencer tools outside of Inspire – for example, making influencer storefronts more prominent or expanding Amazon Live – but in ways that complement external social activity, not replace it. The company’s swift termination of Inspire also sends a message: Amazon won’t hesitate to kill features that don’t perform, which could make influencers and brands cautious about relying too heavily on any one platform’s experimental features in the future.

Influencers Remain Key (But Content Must Feel Authentic): The future of social commerce still very much revolves around influencers and creators who can build trust and engage audiences. What’s changing is the understanding of how to deploy influencer-driven commerce effectively. The Inspire episode shows that simply transplanting influencer content into a shopping app doesn’t magically create a community. Successful social commerce will likely happen in environments where users are already primed for content consumption (e.g. scrolling a feed, watching videos) and then given easy paths to purchase. Influencers will continue to be the bridge between brands and consumers, but they will choose platforms that allow them creative freedom and where their audiences hang out. Micro-influencers are also rising in importance – brands see higher conversion rates when partnering with niche creators whose followers trust their recommendations. This trend means social commerce could become more decentralized, with countless small-scale influencers each driving modest sales that add up, rather than a few mega-celebrities pushing products (which can come off as inauthentic). Additionally, content formats like short videos (TikTok/Reels) and ephemeral content (Stories) are likely to dominate social commerce because they grab attention and can seamlessly incorporate product mentions without feeling like an ad.

Seamless Integration and New Technologies: We’ll likely see a continued blurring of lines between “social” and “shopping.” The most successful efforts will make buying as easy as a double-tap. Social platforms are investing in frictionless checkout, so users don’t have to leave the app at all. As of now, some platforms still link out to external sites (which can cause drop-off), but the trend is toward native checkout (Facebook/Instagram have it for some shops, TikTok is introducing it). Payment options, one-click buy, and even things like shoppable comment sections could evolve. AI and personalization will play a big role too: algorithms can now predict and surface products a user might love, based on their behavior, making the discovery-to-purchase journey more intuitive. Amazon’s Rufus chatbot is one example of bringing a personal shopping assistant into the mix. On social media, AI might help creators produce more engaging content (think AI-generated demo videos or virtual influencers) and help match products with interested consumers. Augmented reality (AR) is another technology to watch – Snapchat already lets users virtually try on products and then buy, and Instagram and TikTok have AR filters for testing makeup or seeing how furniture looks in your room. AR can make social commerce more experiential, bridging the gap between online browsing and in-person trying on.

Cross-Platform and Omnichannel Approach: Finally, the future likely isn’t one single “winner” platform but a mosaic of channels. Consumers might discover a product on TikTok, research it on YouTube, save it on Pinterest, and finally buy it through an Amazon ad or an Instagram post – all within a few days. Smart brands and retailers are increasingly taking an omnichannel approach to social commerce: being present and shoppable wherever their customers are active. Influencers similarly are diversifying their presence (many popular TikTokers also maintain YouTube channels or Instagram profiles, for instance). The collapse of a feature like Inspire underscores the value of not putting all eggs in one basket. In the future, we may see more interoperability too – for example, affiliate programs that work across platforms, or universal shopping carts that carry with you from a social app to a retailer app. Social commerce in 2025 and beyond will be about integration rather than isolation. Amazon’s new strategy of integrating with social platforms (instead of trying to lure users off of them) is a sign of this trend. The companies that thrive will be those who make the social-to-store journey as seamless and entertaining as possible.

Key Takeaways

• Amazon Inspire’s Demise: Amazon’s TikTok-style shopping feed Inspire was discontinued in early 2025 after failing to gain traction. Amazon officially stated it shut Inspire to “better align with what customers want”, implying the feature wasn’t resonating. The company is now pointing users toward AI-driven tools and personalized recommendations (like its Rufus shopping assistant) instead of a social feed.
  

• Why It Failed: Inspire had multiple challenges. Users didn’t flock to Amazon for an entertainment feed, and many found the content too overtly commercial compared to organic TikTok videos Amazon also struggled to supply enough engaging creator content, partly due to low incentives for influencers. Ultimately, Amazon wasn’t able to turn its app into a social destination – a lesson that a retail platform can’t easily morph into a social network without authenticity.
  

• Influencer Shopping Lives On: The end of Inspire is not the end of influencer marketing on Amazon. Influencers will continue to drive Amazon product sales via external platforms – posting on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc., and linking to Amazon. Amazon’s own influencer program (with creator storefronts and Amazon Live) remains in place. If anything, influencers will now focus even more on content for popular social apps and use Amazon purely as the e-commerce backend. Amazon benefits by capturing those sales through affiliate links and ads, even if the product discovery happened elsewhere.
  

• Alternative Social Commerce Channels: Brands and creators still have a robust ecosystem of social commerce options. TikTok is accelerating its in-app shopping features and has proven success in driving impulse buys. Instagram and Facebook enable shopping via posts, Reels, and Shops (despite recent feature tweaks). YouTube leverages video content to drive purchases through links and new shopping tools. Pinterest serves as a discovery-rich platform for shopping inspiration. These platforms (and others like Snapchat or dedicated shopping apps) ensure that the influencer-driven shopping model is alive and well, just not within Amazon’s own app.
  

• Future of Social Commerce: Industry experts remain optimistic about social commerce’s growth. Global sales via social media are forecasted to reach $1+ trillion within a few years, fueled by young consumers’ habits. However, companies are refining approaches: what works in one region (e.g. China’s live selling craze) may need adaptation in another (the U.S. favors short-form video and integrated checkout). The consensus is that social commerce will thrive through native integration – making content and commerce seamless. Amazon’s new strategy of partnering with social platforms rather than competing is one example of this integration. In sum, shopping will become an even more natural part of our social media experience, but success will require blending entertainment and convenience in a way that feels genuine to users. The fall of Inspire simply shows that finding the right balance is tricky, not that the social commerce trend is slowing down. On the contrary, it’s evolving – and the brands and platforms that learn and adapt will ride the next wave of this commerce revolution.

Conclusion to Amazon Shuts Down Inspire: What’s Next for Influencer-Driven Shopping?

Amazon’s decision to shut down Inspire highlights a key lesson in the evolving landscape of social commerce—just because a platform has massive retail power doesn’t mean it can seamlessly transform into a social media experience. While Inspire struggled to gain traction, the demand for influencer-driven shopping is stronger than ever. Consumers still turn to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for product inspiration, and Amazon remains a dominant force in e-commerce by enabling those platforms to funnel sales directly to its marketplace.

For influencers and brands, this shift reinforces the importance of meeting audiences where they naturally engage. Instead of relying on Amazon to provide a built-in social shopping experience, creators will continue leveraging external platforms, using Amazon as a trusted purchase destination rather than a discovery hub. Brands, in turn, will focus more on influencer partnerships outside of Amazon while optimizing their presence on the platform through storefronts, affiliate links, and strategic ad placements.

Ultimately, Inspire’s failure doesn’t signal the decline of social commerce—it underscores the need for a more integrated approach. The future of influencer-driven shopping will thrive where content and commerce feel organic, frictionless, and engaging. Amazon may have pivoted away from a direct social feed, but its investment in AI and external partnerships suggests it’s still betting big on influencer-driven retail—just in a way that lets social platforms do what they do best.