The functionality, which the firm is rolling out “slowly”, transforms Snapchats camera into a visual search service, with the app able to recognise both products and barcodes. By pressing and holding on the camera screen, users can initiate a search, and when a product is recognised, an Amazon card will appear onscreen, surfacing a link to the product or similar items for sale from the online retail giant.

Users can then tap the selection to visit Amazon.com or open the Amazon app if they have it installed, and from there either complete their purchase or continue browsing.

Testing of the new functionality will begin with selected users this week, and will be expanded in a phased manner, with Snap fine-tuning the function as it receives user feedback.

“Snapchat has always been the fastest way to communicate, and now its the fastest way to shop!” said a Snap spokesperson in a blog post announcing the new functionality.

The announcement of this new feature continues the cold war of innovation currently taking place between Snapchat and Instagram, as both platforms seek to add exciting new functions to their offering to maximise user engagement and retention. Instagram recently unveiled a series of new updates aimed at making shopping easier on its platform, and is reportedly working on a standalone app focused entirely on shopping.

The partnership with Amazon enables Snapchat to outsource most of the actual shopping functionality to a well-established player, but Instagrams focus on sectors like fashion, beauty and lifestyle ties in closer with its brand and areas that are already performing well for retailers in terms of advertising on the platform.

The post Snapchat teams with Amazon for visual search tool appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The tool was first introduced to ASOS iOS app in the UK last summer, and currently searches over 85,000 products available through the retailer, with 5,000 new items added weekly. Cutsomers can use any image from their phone camera roll, including pictures they have taken out and about, images from magazines and even screenshots from social media.

ASOS was founded in 2000, and has become a prime example of a mobile-led retailer, with 80 per cent of UK traffic and 70 per cent of orders now arriving via a mobile device. Customers average 80 minutes per month browsing its iOS app, which is one of the highest-rated shopping apps in the App Store.

“We know this is where our customers are and its how they interact with us every day, so were always looking for mobile-native ways to make their experience even better,” said Andy Berks, ASOS digital product director. “Ever since ASOS was founded, weve been driven to delight our customers and improve their lives in little ways by using innovation. But our technology has always been in their service, and never just for its own sake.”

ASOS isnt the only retailer to produce a visual search tool, however. eBay has an Image Search function, and Pinterest, while not a direct retailer, also has its Lens tool that enables users to find similar items on its platform, which can often then be purchased through its Buyable Pin ad unit.

The post ASOS Style Match visual recognition tool gets worldwide rollout appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.