Instagram 'Drops' a new place to shop as social commerce takes off

Instagram has a new shopping feature, “Drops,” which is a tab that opens a feed of potentially trendy products for sale on the app. On Wednesday, Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, announced the latest update to shopping, which is an increasingly important category for the company trying to compete with Amazon, Google, Pinterest and major retailers. The Drops are presented within the Instagram Shop section, which was launched last year as a place to showcase products. “Brands that want to be at the center of culture, community and commerce are choosing to launch products on Instagram,” Instagram said about “Drops” on Wednesday. Instagram added that fashion and apparel brand NOCTA was one of the first brands to “drop” hoodies, T-shirts, hats and pants. Fashion brand Wren+Glory and cosmetics company Charlotte Tilbury also launched products there. Social commerce has taken off, with sales growing 38% in the U.S. in 2020, according to eMarketer. The growth was twice as fast as expected by eMarketer, sparked by more consumers shopping from home and apps like Instagram making it easier to drive purchases. Social commerce is expected to generate $37 billion in the U.S. this year, according to eMarketer. TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube and even Twitter are increasingly leaning into commerce. Traditional retailers like Walmart and e-commerce giant Amazon have been adapting to the changing times, too. Last year, Facebook launched digital storefronts called Shops on Instagram and Facebook. The social network is experimenting with livestream shopping, too, promoting sales events hosted by popular accounts. Direct-to-consumer brands are taking advantage of social media as a way to create instant interest in newly launched products in fashion, furniture, kitchenware and other categories. This month, Amazon created a new page on its e-commerce website devoted strictly to products that are gaining traction among social media users. Facebook is viewed as one of the more credible threats to the dominance of Amazon in online sales, but Pinterest, Snapchat and TikTok are also developing e-commerce tools. Snapchat made shopping a key component of its recent Snap Partner Summit, where it revealed new ways for brands to establish a presence on the app and promote products using augmented reality filters. Augmented reality technology lets people try-on virtual product through the camera on their phones.

Instagram 'Drops' a new place to shop as social commerce takes off

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