Targeted advertising has only become more ubiquitous as companies access increased amounts of user data, and Apple wants to increase its presence in this space.
According to reports from Bloomberg, Apple plans to “roll out a redesigned version of its Apple Store mobile app for selling devices that will use a customer’s buying history to recommend further purchases, taking a page from Amazon.com Inc.’s playbook.”
While Bloomberg’s sources are identified only as “people familiar with the intended revamp,” the new Apple Store app is expected to roll out within the next two weeks. The app could include a “For You” tab to recommend future purchases based on buying history, although it isn’t clear what data exactly Apple might use to make these recommendations, whether it be downloads from the App Store or physical device purchases from a real-world Apple Store or Apple.com.
The next update would also consolidate features found in the separate iPhone and iPad versions of the app, bringing along a more streamlined and consistent interface as well.
The Next Web suggests the recommendation tab could potentially feature items that “may appeal to you based on previous purchases. If you purchase a MacBook, the tab may suggest various USB-C cables and other add-ons like cases.”
Bloomberg noted that the use of personal recommendations in its products is rare for the company, as utilizing personal data for profit has often been a sore subject for both Apple and its users.
“While its music-streaming and news apps also recommend tracks and stories, they primarily do so based on interests that customers have chosen to declare,” Bloomberg writes. “Amazon and Alphabet Inc.’s Google, meanwhile, regularly mine a user’s prior tastes and purchases to generate business by recommending complementary products.”
