Mikey Campbell
Apple is working on a new version of its Apple Store app for iOS that will provide customers with personalized product recommendations based on their purchase history, according to a report published Thursday.
Citing sources familiar with Apple's plans, Bloomberg reports the revamped app will borrow a page from Apple Music and feature a "For You" tab filled with suggestions based on prior Apple Store orders.
As noted by the publication, the inclusion of a backend recommendation engine would be a first for Apple, a company that prides itself on keeping user data private. Currently, the Apple Store app allows users to access their buying history for reference purposes, but does not tap into the data to offer suggestions on future purchases.
Other Apple services like Apple Music and various iTunes stores suggest content based on preferences set by users voluntarily in a setup process. It is unclear if the redesigned Apple Store app recommendation engine will be activated by default or implemented as an opt-in feature.
While an official release date has not been confirmed, Apple is expected to launch the updated version of its in-house mobile shopping app within the next few weeks. Like the current Apple Store app, Apple is expected to distribute versions customized for both iPhone and iPad displays.
Malcolm Owen
Wesley Hilliard
Marko Zivkovic
Christine McKee
4 Comments
I think most people are comfortable with Apple (as a "first party" vendor) using past transactions to guide recommendations. What people do NOT want is Apple sharing that personal history with OTHER "third party" companies, and Apple will not.
Nice, I've always appreciated that feature in Amazon.
I wish their categorization system had more levels & feature granularity/filtering. If I’m looking for an app in a new sub-category I or others don’t already have apps in, then a recommendation system won’t be able to help me. Profiling users works to an extent for shallow inquiries, but profiling your library/catalog and organizing it works much better for deeper inquiries that some people need when shallow relationship—“also purchased”—graphs doesn’t help.
Good plan. Sort of obvious really.