The hype around social media apps trying to become shopping hubs has never been higher. But so are the red flags.
Facebook was eager to showcase its partnership between Messenger and retail startup Spring at the developer conference F8. But Spring CEO Alan Tisch said he had “very low expectations” going into the deal with Messenger to operate a chatbot for shopping. It was “great for brand alignment and PR but it’s a huge shift in behavior you’re asking from users,” he said in an interview with The Information. Messenger’s “not about to replace shopping.”