Instagram keeps surprising its users. A few weeks ago, the company introduced “Shop now” feature that allows users to easily purchase the products that show up in ads. At the moment, the shopping trial feature is only available for the U.S. iOS users. Only several brands are included in the trial, such as Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Warby Parker, ShopBop, JackThreads and target.
Instagram is one of the most popular and surely for one of the most addictive apps. People love to shop online because it’s simple and convenient. Keeping these things in mind, this combination sounds pretty awesome.
How does it work? When a brand posts a photo of one of their products, you will see “Tap to view products”. Once you tap on it, you will see the name of each product along with the price. For instance, jeans and sneakers. Tap on the product you are interested in, and you will get a detailed view of the item. If you want to buy the product, tap “Shop now” and the brand’s website will open up so that you can make a purchase.
Many users find their inspiration on Instagram and many want to purchase the products they see. Now, instead of leaving the app and looking for the product online, you can buy it with just a few taps. Amazing, right?
Brands do love this new tool. It is hassle-free, as brands will no longer need to add “link in the bio” so the users can click on it. This is much simpler.
“Our community uses Instagram as an aspirational discovery platform and they’re looking to us for inspiration,” says CMO of JackThreads Ryan McIntyre. “Instead of having to transition over to the JackThreads app, our customers will be able to shop seamlessly from their social media feeds – allowing us to reach guys where they’re already hunting for what’s new.”
This doesn’t mean this new feature will replace brands’ websites or apps. It will just make things easier for both, retailers and shoppers. People who want to buy a specific product will be able to do so without wasting their time leaving the app and searching for the item. Brands will be able to promote their products in a more effective way and attract more buyers.
Instagram is also planning to add the option that will allow the users to save a product and buy it later.
“As we roll out further, we’ll explore product recommendations, ways products are showcased to shoppers, global expansion and the ability to save content so Instagrammers can take an action later.”, Instagram wrote in a blog post.
In the future, “Shop Now” feature could arrive in other countries and become available for Android.