While at JFK airport recently while waiting for a flight to Los Angeles, I met Gordon Gould co-founder of the social shopping website, www.thisnext.com. We had a short chat about ThisNext and the many features from the site. When I arrived in Los Angeles I took a quick look around This Next and setup a account and added my two favorite Australian ingredients wattleseed and Lemon Myrtle to my profile. The process was really quick and easy.

ThisNext got me thinking what other social shopping websites are out there? Are social shopping websites the way we are going to purchase in the future? I quickly found a few social shopping websites, many of which are still in Beta phase. I thought I would check each of them out and provide a review. Here are they are in no order of preference;

ThisNext – www.thisnext.com

ThisNext has a real Web 2.0 slick design and signup is quick and easy. There is a number cool networking tools for both consumers and retailers. There are Shopcasting Badges which allow bloggers to host a widget type devices which “casts” their recommendations on their blog. For retailers there is a device that can be added to each product badge allowing consumers to recommend the product to ThisNext.

Check out My Profile on ThisNext

Crowdstorm – www.crowdstorm.com

UK based Crowstrorm which is still in beta mode has a nice design, but lacks in providing consumers the destination of where and how to purchase an item unless of course the items is included in Amazon or ebay. I found that the site featured a great deal of electronics equipment including kitchen and cookware items. I couldn’t find any food or cooking ingredients The search results were rather basic and I found navigation better via the Tag Cloud.

MyPickList – www.mypicklist.com

MyPickList has a great looking Web 2.0 design and is easy to enrol. The first process is to select a Widget design selecting different sizes, colours and themes. Once you have done this you can add your recommendations one by one. Compared to other social shopping websites, MyPickList is a little harder than others, but works well. Once this is done the widget is automatically created and looks great. You can then add to your blog. Apart from their widgets, there are a number of badges which can also be added.

My Profile on has the cool widget. Do check it out.

Kaboodle – www.kaboodle.com

Kaboodle is much more than a social shopping website with the ability to add movies, vacations as well as online shopping items. You can even import your Amazon wishlist as well. The site is relatively easy to navigate and is still in beta mode, who ever right throughout they have this naggy Send to a friend section which appears on a few pages including a dedicated page just after signup.

My Profile on Kaboodle

Zlio – www.zlio.com

Zlio is slightly different to other social shopping websites as it allows you to setup your own online store. The products you can include are from their affiliate program relationships like Amazon and others. Once you have setup your store with products and start promoting it, you receive commissions of any sales generated from your site.

Five Limes – www.fivelimes.com

Unlike other social shopping websites Five Limes only includes products or services that are green or sustainable. I am sure that this includes fair trade products as well. Given the popularity of sustainability in the food industry in recent times, I think that Five Limes have really got a niche market developed with this social shopping website. Site has a great Web 2.0 look and feel.

My Profile on Fivelimes

Conclusion
I found ThisNext to be the best of the social shopping websites on the web by far with MyPickList coming in a close 2nd place. Fivelimes has a great uniqueness and I am sure will become a niche social shopping website.