Flipkart Ping combines messaging with e-commerce to discuss shopping with friends

Instant messaging is in vogue, and there is no denying that! People are looking for convenient ways to discuss and keep in touch using mobile devices, and companies are ensuring to craft services that enable doing this as smoothly as possible. The latest to jump on to the messaging bandwagon is Flipkart. It is quite innovative to see how Flipkart has smartly introduced messaging within its app dubbed Ping, which will allow people to discuss shopping or indulge in group shopping with easy ways to share product links, photos, cart and so on. Flipkart Ping has been rolled out for Android and iOS, and is current available on invite-only basis. This move is to gauge the initial response before simply rolling it out to all. We’ve managed to get an invite from Flipkart, and here’s what we have to say.  Once you install Ping, you can access it from the ‘more options’on the right upper corner of the Flipkart app, along with other options like Wishlist, My orders and so on. Moreover, you will also find a bubble with chat icon floating within the app, and seen on every page as you navigate. Within Ping, you can add friends by sending them invites via SMS and other social platforms. When someone accepts your invite, the name is seen in the list of friends, something akin to any messaging platform these days. The platform naturally requires web connectivity. Once you start chatting with a friend, you get options such as sharing your wishlist, cart, screen share, photos and videos from the gallery, and simply click a photo and share it. It looks like a usual messaging platform that allows chatting and sharing content, along with heavy integration of Flipkart. So, you can share a page you were looking at or a specific product and so on.  We could easily share a product from our wishlist and our screen space. Sharing a screen space means, the app will share the Flipkart page that you are accessing at that time. Ping makes navigating easy as once you start a chat with someone, another bubble with the initials of the person appears along with messaging icon on all pages. If you find the chatting bubble following you everywhere right at the center right side of the screen, then there is an option to simply drag and remove them. Now, if you want to get back to chatting, all you need to do is shake the phone to bring back the bubbles and start chatting.  The feature appears to be neat and there’s also the option for group chatting. This means users can group together and chat about a specific product. The app doesn’t support videos yet.  We must say that it is an innovative move. Flipkart is trying to merge two popular and growing platforms together - instant messaging and e-commerce. Flipkart wants users to discuss about a specific purchase within the app, something similar to when you are out with your friends shopping in a mall and discuss the products. However, the company is trying to make this experience digital, and from the comfort of your couch. While we don’t know if friends who love shopping would indulge in such a platform, but it seems like a good move for those looking to buy something, maybe a dress and want an opinion from fashionista friends or someone looking to buy a smartphone and looking for an advice from a techie friend. We did not notice any glitch with the app and it worked quite smoothly, but it will depend upon users if they would still like copy-pasting product links and photos, or would opt for drag and drop option while shopping on the Flipkart app.