Online catalog recommends products based on friends’ likes

Pickie aims to provide users with a catalog of goods based on the items being discussed by their contacts on social media sites.

Last year we spotted 15gifts offering individuals struggling to think of ideas for presents a curated selection of recommendations based on their friends’ online profiles. Now Pickie aims to provide personalized product catalogs for the user to browse for themselves, based on the items being discussed by their friends on social media sites. Currently in private beta, Pickie customers first enter details about themselves – such as gender and product interests – before linking their account to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social networks. The site then collates data on what contacts on these network users are talking about and filters it into its recommendation service, thereby aiming to offer a more personal and intuitive guide to shopping. On top of this, articles about shopping and products are also delivered to customers based on the items coming up in their account. Those looking to be a part of Pickie need to request an invite via the site’s Facebook page. The service is based on a similar premise to Vineloop — that users value recommendations far more when they know they are being drawn from trusted sources such as their friends. However, will the startup be able to set itself apart from the multitude of social shopping ventures popping up online? Spotted by: Hemanth Chandrasekar