Supermarket chain Waitrose is planning to take advantage of the Facebook and MySpace craze by launching its own social networking site, according to the Times.The upmarket food store is set to introduce the social networking facility on its main website, where shoppers can use message boards to talk about food issues.
Users will also be able to upload and swap recipes and add pictures of themselves and their creations in the new development.
The plans were revealed last week, as part of the food retail giant's one million pound website revamp.
Waitrose chief Mark Price revealed that he hopes the site will become the UK's number one food networking site, earmarking around one million visitors a month.
"As every foodie knows, sharing advice and tips is a hugely rewarding experience and this is something we want to bring free of charge to enthusiasts," he commented.
Among the topics Price expects to be debated on the social site are ethical issues such as fair trade and culinary advice.
If Waitrose's social networking service experiences even a fraction of the success that Facebook and MySpace have enjoyed, it is sure to be a worthwhile investment.
Figures recently released by internet analysts Nielsen//NetRatings revealed that MySpace remains the UK's most popular social networking site with 6.5 million unique visitors last month alone.
However, the data showed that Facebook has become bigger in the UK than the US and its audience numbers are growing at 19 times the rate of MySpace's.
