For anyone who enjoys meeting a friend and spending the afternoon shopping, buying goods online might take away a lot of the pleasure in the activity. An emerging trend is developing that might free online shopping from its solitary nature. Social online shopping has blended the online retailer with social media. Buyers have profiles, shopping lists and post product reviews. So far there are several dozen social shopping sites (listed in full article.) As they battle it out in the marketplace, anyone looking to build a following should keep an eye on them. This is the combination of two Web 2.0 aspects that have, so far, stayed detached. Once a few clear leaders pull ahead, their value to marketers could be immense.

The full story at Search Engine Land:
http://searchengineland.com/why-you-should-get-involved-with-social-shopping-e-commerce-20-22995