Ikea's Place app has been a forerunner in AR commerce where buyers can arrange furniture virtually before making a purchase. Conversational commerce Conversational commerce is when vendors and buyers interact in real time using a chatbot or a messaging app. This form of social shopping enables brands to provide a more tailored digital experience to their customers. H&M was among the first to use conversational commerce via Kik, the chatbot. Social Shopping Platforms These are the top social media platforms that are making waves in social shopping. Facebook Shops Facebook Shops is the most extensively used social shopping platform. Every month, almost 250 million individuals shop on Facebook. Businesses can use the platform to create personalized and branded storefronts. Facebook also provides valuable data to businesses to better understand their consumers' purchasing habits. Other Meta apps like WhatsApp and Messenger help customers get answers about a product or service promptly.
Pinterest Shoppable Pins Pinterest Shoppable Pins Source: unsplash Pinterest is the social media platform for visuals. And to further enhance its value, the platform has recently launched Pinterest shoppable pins. Consumers are drawn in because they get inspired by a visual, and they can actually buy it. The site also features Pinterest TV shoppable livestreams and AR capabilities on beauty Pins. is quickly becoming the “it” platform for social commerce as it improves online stores by providing shoppable galleries. These visual catalogs include shoppable UGC, shoppable Instagram feeds, and shoppable social feeds. Shopping was previously only available to US, UK, and Canadian Shopify stores. In September 2021 rolled out its social shopping channel to most countries. It has also created apps for vendors on other platforms besides Shopify. Closing Thoughts Social shopping is a critical component of eCommerce today and more so in the future. If your business doesn't embrace it, keeping up with the competition will be challenging. Social shopping connects key demographics in ways other digital channels fail,