Shoppers of the world unite. For many people, shopping is a solitary activity; one where the individual hunter-gatherer sets off on a mission to find that perfect something…and then brings home that perfect something (plus a few other things that caught his/her eye).

But now there’s less reason to be a lonely shopper. You can make shopping a group effort, complete with communal decision making but without the need for an actual parade of people moving store to store behind you. Social shopping allows consumers to harness the wisdom of the crowds (or at least their friends) and gives retailers a new tool to foster loyalty, acquire new customers, and enhance the shopping experience.

Amazon

When you sign up for Amazon’s Facebook Connect you get a very deep connection. Based on the published likes and dislikes of your Facebook friends, their collective favourite books, movies and music are revealed. You also get access to their wish lists in case you need to buy a personal birthday gift, a great way to get that “How did you know!!” reaction. At first this almost sounds overly intrusive, however, Amazon only shares what people have agreed to post on their public profiles.

Sephora

Sephora gets a nod for incorporating social and mobile attributes within the in-store experience. Type in a SKU, product name, or brand name into their mobile app and see reviews from others. You can also Facebook Like a product from within the mobile app so you can get feedback from your friends.

JustBought.it

Part Twitter, part TwitPic, and part Google Maps, JustBought.it encourages users to tweet whenever they’ve “just bought something” with a picture of the product and the location where they purchased it. What emerges is a local shopping community. An iPhone app is available with BlackBerry (client) and Android versions to come. The Android version will come with an augmented reality function that lets users walk into a store and see what others on the site have already purchased.

Threadless

Have a T-shirt design idea? Post it to Threadless.com. In seven days the community scores your design. If it scores high enough, Threadless will feature it and sell your T-shirt and the designer gets paid.

Tobi.com Fashionista

Augmented reality comes to online shopping with Zugara’s Fashionista app (now in alpha mode) that lets you try on virtual clothes from the comfort of your home. This takes the convenience of online shopping to a whole new level.

Image credit: Mashable

It’s not every day that a client asks you to create something that is meaningful, innovative, creative and fun.

Okay, with Ben & Jerry’s, it’s every other day. In keeping with Jerry Greenfield’s motto “If it’s not fun, then why do it” they have really outdone themselves this time.

Ben & Jerry’s is always looking for new ways to engage with their fans. They saw early success with their Facebook page which reached one million fans last year and is steadily growing.

Their Twitter presence isn’t too shabby either, with over 10K followers. In March, Ben & Jerry’s entered the world of iPhone apps with “Scoop of Happiness” which includes a Scoop Shop Locator, flavor and ingredient information as well as Mystic Moo a clairvoyant cow who makes flavor recommendations based on your mood.

Last week, the “Scoop of Happiness” app got a little bit happier with an extra scoop of Augmented Reality called Moo Vision. Now this is a big first.

Moo Vision unlocks 3D AR experiences launched by the pint lid design – without markers or QR codes. Instead, by leveraging the capabilities of iOS 4.0, the AR experience allows for natural feature tracking. It tells the story of Ben & Jerry’s platform of “It’s What’s Inside That Counts” while letting fans take advantage of breakthrough technology from wherever they are enjoying their pint. Currently, there are four pints that Moo Vision recognizes. Unlock them all and get some special background images.

The cows have come home, in terms of this technology. Using Moo Vision is like finding a prize inside your cereal box, except it’s on the outside! We’ve always loved sharing our story. Now, instead of just telling it, we can help our fans experience it by taking them on the journey with us. — Katie O’Brien, Global Digital Marketing Manager at Ben & Jerry’s

Be on the lookout for more surprises from Ben & Jerry’s over the next year as they go completely Fair Trade with their ingredients.

This is only the beginning of a bold and digital journey. (Seriously, my job is better than yours and I’m sorry to break that to you)

Digital Team: Peter DiBart, Sarah True, Albert Lewis, Evan Rosler, Lou Tehan. In conjunction with Circ.us

We have a late-breaking Friday Five today that functions as the best kind of Ask the Experts column. When you need to know the latest and greatest on some of the most prominent social tools in the digerati arsenal, these five sources are the folks to read.

Foursquare

Foursquare’s company blog is updated only a few times a month with information about system upgrades and random musings from founder @dens, to get a more in depth look at the happenings at Foursquare I check out About Foursquare.

Chris Thompson founded About Foursquare in April 2010 and since then he has been updating the site daily with announcements of new Foursquare partners, upcoming geolocation features and interesting apps based on the Foursquare API. The site also offers resources like Foursquare 101, a list of apps for all mobile devices and a Foursquare style guide.

Facebook

Inside Facebook focuses on tracking Facebook news for developers and marketers. The site has great stats about the top Facebook apps of the week, interviews with top industry leaders, up to the minute news and research about the growth of Facebook globally.

I also make sure to read AllFacebook which is associated with the popular social media website SocialTimes. While AllFacebook is very similar to Inside Facebook its strength lies in its in depth stats on the most popular Facebook developers, fastest growing applications and usage of applications site wide.

Twitter

Twitter recently created a group of blogs to educate marketers and media folk about the best uses of Twitter. @CleverAccounts is a Twitter blog (and of course Twitter account) that shares the most creative uses of Twitter from businesses and organizations. @TwitterMedia is another Twitter blog that features tools and knowledge from the media and journalists.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Planet and Augmented Times are my go to sources for all things augmented reality. Both sites provide great insight into developing trends, inspiration for future applications and examples of current applications being developed and used.

Innovation

KillerStartups is a website that reviews between 15-20 startups everyday. The startups range in genre from social media to music to lifestyle. This site has become a necessary resource for finding new social media tools.

If 20 innovative ideas isn’t enough for you, be sure to check out Springwise. Springwise is a network of 8,000 spotters dedicated to finding the next big thing. Like KillerStartups the topics spread across several areas but you’ll be sure to find something on the site everyday to get your creative juices flowing.

As SXSW begins, the ‘big news’ in social media will feature the latest and greatest developments for location based tools like Foursquare, Gowalla and Plancast. Twitter ‘exploded’ at SXSW a few years ago and Foursquare began to bubble in 2009. We calmly await to see who the next “darling” will be this year! Translation: checking our Twitter streams like mad to see what SXSW people are talking about.

Facebook Gets into the Location Game

Joining their geo counterparts at Fourquare and Gowalla, Facebook plans on adding location based features to its current API.

Eventbrite and Facebook Join Forces

This partnership is a ‘no brainer’. Facebook users will now be able to purchase tickets to Eventbrite gatherings via their Facebook page. Yet another service incorporating into Facebook – keeping users in their personal Facebook perusing, versus clicking away and visiting another site. These types of partnerships will also increase Facebook’s average time spent metrics month over month.

French Connection Celebrates the Randomness of Global Chat

Chatroulette’s voyeuristic reputation is celebrated in French Connection’s new campaign – aiming to seek the best pick-up attempts.

Starbucks Announces Foursquare Partnership

Though not firmly defined, Starbucks (client) will begin rewarding loyalty points for its frequent customer base. Easy wins here: Starbucks card and weekly coffee freebies.

Open Your Front Door With – Your iPhone?

News of this hit as Apple’s patent application surrounding this technology was released. Imagine walking up to your front door and scanning your iPhone into a designated reader, accessed via pin code. Enter, the iKey.

Chevy Uses Augmented Reality to ‘Geek Out’ at SXSW

Augmented reality isn’t new, but enabling the experience to happen on consumer phones versus their computers moves the dial. Chevy (client) is also teaming up with Foursquare competitor, Gowalla, to assist SXSW attendees with their airport transportation needs.