Starting last year there were all those news and rumors that Instagram will launch its own shop, but until now nothing was for sure. Earlier this month, Instagram has started testing a new design for navigation, which would put the shopping feature in the spotlight.
From now on, users will be able to shop directly from the Explore tab. And the second news of the day is that Facebook Pay is launched in the US for both payments and donations.
The New Redesigned Instagram Shop
Instagram Shop might become the place to go when looking for products from specific brands or creators. Currently, there is this profile called @shop where you can find curated collections that might be of interest to you.
Going to the Shop tab on Instagram, you can filter the selections based on your interests: fashion, make-up, accessories, home etc and check out directly in the app. If you don’t have a Shop tab yet, no worries, you can find the shop in the Explore tab.
The Instagram Shop is not their first attempt in turning the social network into an e-commerce platform, as shopping was already available. But with the new redesign, users will be encouraged to swipe and discover new brands and products they might like.
So from now on Instagram – Discover – Buy! This will be part of the mechanism that makes a social network dual: both a place to share photos and stories and a shopping place.
Facebook Pay
Facebook Pay was first introduced to the world later last year and can be used as a payment method between Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp.
This time, it will be publicly open for users that want to shop through Instagram. And also to make donations to businesses or causes they support.
For businesses that sell through Instagram, there will be a fee applied and a new source of revenue for Instagram and Facebook, now that almost everyone is shopping online.
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