Yahoo Blasts Into The Shoposphere

Just in time for the holiday shopping rush, Yahoo has made a "social commerce" update to its site to add community feedback on products to the shopping experience.

WebProWorld Yahoo Shoposphere and Pick Lists features recently. One joins the Shoposphere by creating a Pick List. The list can be themed however the creator wants it to be. People can list similar products, accessories for a popular product, or products for certain hobbies or interests. Lists can be shared on Yahoo, and by email and RSS feed. Other users can rate a list, and those garnering the highest ratings could show up on the Shoposphere's home page. The company has integrated Yahoo 360 social networking into Pick Lists and user reviews, too. Filling a list shouldn't be too difficult. Yahoo said in the post it lists some 90 million items for sale. As the beta progresses, Yahoo plans to make other features available, like tagging, Pick List badges for one's blog, and more 360 integration. Part of the beta involved updating Yahoo's shopping search; they talk more about it in the post: We've also done a lot to improve our core shopping search, starting with a new search UI with easier scanning of prices and product reviews. We've integrated deals into search results so that free shipping offers, rebates, and coupons are a click of the mouse away. Why the changes? Rob Solomon, vice president and general manager of Yahoo Shopping, here.