# Social Shopping Apps The Fun Feature on Alibaba's Tmall App Tags Visible Brands in Photos By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2014-07-21 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/social-shopping-app References: [techinasia](http://www.techinasia.com/alibaba-new-social-network-photo-app-tagging-brands/) & [36kr](http://www.36kr.com/p/213929.html) An update to e-commerce giant [Alibaba's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/taobao-live) [Tmall](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scotch-soda) social shopping app is a new feature called 'Fun,' which lets users tag brands that are visible in their photos. The app has an [Instagram](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amazon-inspire)-like interface and the tagging feature works just like tagging another user on Instagram, except that it's a great way to see what someone is wearing if you're interested in buying the same item for yourself. In addition to following other users on Tmall, now it's possible to follow specific brands as well. Brand pages show off a catalog of images that are tagged with a specific brand's items, which is a great way to see how other shoppers are styling similar items. As one of China's largest e-commerce websites, it will be interesting to see if this new feature offers a boost in buying. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.6/10 - Popularity: 64% | Activity: 97% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 10% men, 90% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Social Shopping:** Alibaba's Tmall app's new 'Fun' feature allows users to tag visible brands in their photos, increasing social shopping opportunities. - **Instagram-style Interface:** Tmall's 'Fun' feature mimics Instagram's interface, creating a familiarity that can attract social media and e-commerce users. - **Brand Tagging:** By allowing users to tag brands in their posts, Tmall engages influencer marketing and builds stronger relationships with its customers. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **E-commerce:** Tmall's new feature follows in the footsteps of social commerce, bridging the gap between social media and e-commerce. - **Social Media:** The 'Fun' feature increases user engagement by encouraging social media behavior on Tmall. - **Fashion and Retail:** Alibaba's Tmall feature enhances the fashion and retail industries by creating a virtual shopping environment for potential buyers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Social Media-Inspired eCommerce Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amazon-inspire.md) - [Social Commerce Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/21-buttons.md) - [Luxury E-Commerce Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ecommerce-apps.md) - [User-Focused Product Tagging Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/product-tagging.md) - [Shoppable Hybrid Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lemon8.md) - [Social Media Shopping Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/twitter-shops.md) - [Social E-Commerce Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiktok-4.md) - [AR-Powered Shopping Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dress-up.md) - [Social Media-Inspired Retail Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/depop-outfits.md)