Amazon has announced that it will be discontinuing “Inspire,” a short-form video and photo feed feature within its mobile app that allowed users to discover and purchase products from content created by influencers, brands, and other customers.

According to a company spokesperson, the decision to shut down Inspire is part of Amazon’s ongoing effort to evaluate and refine its features to better meet customer needs. The spokesperson stated, “We regularly assess various features to ensure they align with customer priorities, and as a result, Inspire is no longer available.”

The timing of this shutdown is noteworthy, given the current uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the US. Inspire could have potentially served as an alternative platform for American shoppers seeking product reviews from TikTokers. However, with the feature’s demise, this opportunity has been eliminated.

Amazon has, however, made significant strides in integrating its shopping experience with other social media platforms. For instance, the company partnered with Instagram in November 2023 to enable seamless shopping directly within the app. Around the same time, it also collaborated with Snap to allow users to purchase Amazon products from social ads. These partnerships have likely reduced the need for a standalone short video feature like Inspire.

Inspire was initially launched in 2022, amidst the growing trend of social commerce. The feature was designed to support both photos and videos, providing users with a unique shopping experience.

However, Inspire faced controversy in August 2023 when Amazon attempted to attract creators to the platform by offering select influencers a monetary incentive to submit videos. The compensation, which was capped at $12,500 for up to 500 videos or $25 per qualifying video, was widely criticized as being too low. This criticism may have contributed to the feature’s lack of adoption among creators.

Another possible reason for Inspire’s shutdown is that it failed to gain significant traction among creators, who may have been deterred by the limited earning potential compared to other platforms.

While the company spokesperson did not elaborate on the specific reasons behind the shutdown, they highlighted alternative ways for customers to discover inspiration, including Amazon’s creator storefronts, curated collections, and more.

Additionally, the spokesperson mentioned Amazon’s new AI-powered features, such as its shopping assistant, Rufus, which was launched last year. These features are designed to enhance the overall shopping experience for customers.

The spokesperson noted, “Beyond Amazon, we recognize that customers seek inspiration and product recommendations on social media, and we’re innovating to make shopping for Amazon products more enjoyable through seamless social media integrations.”

Notably, Amazon is currently testing a new feature that redirects shoppers to other brands’ websites when they search for products that are not available on Amazon. This move suggests that the company is exploring new ways to improve the customer experience and provide more options for shoppers.