Flipkart launches in-app chat feature called Ping

India's eCommerce major, Flipkart has launched a new service called Ping, a new in-app chat feature that allows users to have conversation with friends in order to get feedback about a product they plan on buying or help friends decide what to buy. Ping is being rolled out to the Flipkart app for Android and iOS, but to access this feature users need an invite.

Ping is visible as a chat icon floating on the right hand side of the shopping app. Those who have the feature in their Flipkart app can invite other people in their contact list via SMS.  

Besides chatting, you can also share product images, wishlists and items in carts with your friends. You can also drag and drop products into the conversation and also share your screen so that you can browse the products together with your friends. In addition you can create groups like in Whatsapp.

Flipkart's move to introduce Ping was prompted by research that indicated that a "customer's identity is strongly related to their mobile number and their inability to shop collaboratively was the number one barrier for online shopping." As per a survey from Nielson 50 millions of Flipkart users are on mobile and spend 59 minutes per month on the app.


Via