Amazon’s shopping social network, Spark shuts down

Amazon launched its shopping social network in July 2017.

The logo of Amazon is seen on the door of an Amazon Books retail store in New York City, U.S., February 14, 2019. (REUTERS)

Amazon Spark, essentially a competitor to Instagram, has shut down less than two years since after its launch in July 2017.

Spark was focused on users posting images, stories and ideas about products and purchases and was originally launched only for Amazon Prime members. Other users could then react with 'smiles' and comments, CNET reported on Friday.

Even as it was Instagram's competitor, Spark was primarily focused on shopping and sale.

While it tried to mock the Instagram aesthetic at times with fashion inspiration images or highly posed travel photos, it lacked the photo sharing app's broader appeal. Your friends weren't there and there weren't any Instagram Stories, for example. Everything felt too transactional, according to a report by TechCrunch.

"Amazon declined to comment on the apparent shutdown of Spark but the service is gone from the website and app," the TechCrunch report added.