State College, PA – May 15, 2024 – CoCarting, the world’s first AI-powered social shopping platform, today announced the official launch of its mobile application on iOS and Android. The innovative app enables users to shop, chat, vote, and make purchasing decisions together across 300+ major retailers including Amazon and Walmart, addressing the $890 billion online returns problem while bringing people closer through collaborative commerce.
Founded by Yi Meng after a frustrating experience trying to shop online with family, CoCarting tackles a critical gap in modern eCommerce: the isolation and inefficiency of solo online shopping. With over 275 million shoppers navigating 14 million eCommerce sites mostly alone, nearly 40% of consumers return an online purchase at least once monthly, contributing to massive waste and environmental impact.
“Online shopping has become isolating and stressful, especially when people try to coordinate purchases together through scattered text messages and product links,” said Yi Meng, Founder and CEO of CoCarting. “We built CoCarting to solve this problem by creating the first truly social shopping experience where families and friends can collaborate in real-time, make confident decisions together, and reduce wasteful returns. This isn’t just about transactions—it’s about connection.”
The CoCarting Wishlist Maker App offers a comprehensive suite of features including shared wishlists, group chat functionality, voting capabilities, and a universal shopping cart that works seamlessly across hundreds of retailers. By enabling users to gather trusted opinions from friends and family instead of relying solely on reviews from strangers, the platform helps shoppers make more confident purchasing decisions while reducing impulsive buying.
Selected for the prestigious Ben Franklin Technology Accelerator Program, CoCarting has partnered with Penn State University to research social shopping behavior and validate its approach to collaborative commerce. The platform targets busy moms and Gen Z shoppers who value staying connected with their social circles, offering particular utility for family shopping lists, event planning, gift registries, and holiday wishlists.
Looking ahead, CoCarting aims to expand from thousands to millions of users worldwide over the next three years, leveraging AI-driven personalization to become the leading platform for collaborative online shopping. The company actively seeks investors and partners to join its mission of reducing the 9.5 billion pounds of annual landfill waste caused by online shopping returns while building meaningful social connections through commerce.
About CoCarting
CoCarting is the world’s first AI-powered social shopping platform that transforms online shopping from a solitary experience into a collaborative, connected activity. Available on iOS and Android, CoCarting enables users to shop together across 300+ retailers, making online shopping more confident, sustainable, and fun. For more information, visit https://cocarting.com.
