Chloe is the Social Strategy and Insights Consultant at Wunderman Thompson Commerce.
Facebook has launched its shopping feature for consumers in the UK, after launching the ‘Facebook Shops’ platform for businesses last year . Facebook users will now see ‘Shop’ featured as a bookmark on the Facebook menu bar and in the mobile app. Here, consumers will find curated collections, products, and recent posts from businesses. Users will also see personalised content from brands in their news feeds, and through in-product notifications or small business favourites they follow. “ During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to online shopping has rapidly accelerated, with an estimated 85 per cent of people worldwide now shopping online ,” said Steve Hatch, VP for Northern Europe at Facebook. “We’ve been doing a huge amount this...
With 65 per cent of consumers expecting to use digital shopping channels even more in the future, Facebook’s new shopping tool announcement further demonstrates the importance of brands and retailers thinking about how to utilise their social channels and capture the attention of the shoppers. Coupled with virtual storefronts, which many brands and retailers have been experimenting with since the launch of Facebook Shops last year, this new tool aids and simplifies the customer experience. For customers, bookmarking their favourite items will feel like they are on the site itself – almost serving as a ‘wish list’ – allowing customers to save their favourite items as they browse, removing any unnecessary friction and providing a smooth path to sell, save and buy.