Flipkart to replace Ping to allow interaction between seller and customer

Flipkart is replacing its in-app peer-to-peer chat service Ping that allowed customers to reach out to friends and family with one that now allows interaction between sellers and customers.

The decision to shut down Ping, the social chat feature, as well as another link that allowed customers to search through images, less than a year after both features were launched is due largely to low customer interest in both products said a spokesman for the company.

"After 25th June, 2016 users will not be able to chat with their friends or family on Ping but will be able to browse through their existing chats on the app," a company statement said. "Customers will continue to be able to share any messages or products through any social media platform of their choice."

Ping allowed users to browse for products and share them with friends inside Flipkart's app. It was launched by former chief product officer Punit Soni, who quit Flipkart in April. The chat feature was seen as part of the company's effort to add social elements to its platform to get users to spend more time on the app.

"We will, keeping in mind the consumer preference, discontinue image search, but will continue to support the "visually similar" feature on the platform to make shopping easy and seamless," said a Flipkart spokesman.

As a replacement for Ping, Flipkart said it has launched a pilot for 'user to seller' chat and will soon begin 'user to customer care' chat on its platform. The new feature will help users to chat with sellers about their product related queries, prior to even buying the final product.

“This new feature will help users to chat with the sellers about their product related queries, prior to even buying the final product. The pilot which started with a limited set of sellers initially will be expanded to more sellers in the due course of the project," Flipkart said.

Flipkart has been under immense pressure to ward off competition from the likes of global rival Amazon, which has recently committed fresh investments of $3 billion.

Interestingly, its rival Snapdeal had also launched a similar chat-based model to allow sellers to connect with buyers through 'Shopo'.