Facebook Launches New Shops Feature; Instagram Soon to Follow

By Christina Kumar Last updated May 24, 2020 Share with new partner:

Businesses of any size and budget will be able to use the new Facebook Shops, a way for businesses to create a single online store for their customers to access on Facebook as well as Instagram, which will be found on a business’ profile. Photo credit: Chinnapong / Shutterstock.com, licensed.

SACRAMENTO, CA – With many businesses at an upheaval during the lockdown, there is some good news on the horizon. Facebook has recently launched ‘Facebook Shops,’ a way for businesses to create a single online store which their customers can access on Facebook as well as Instagram. This new feature is free and with businesses scrambling to search for new options to increase their revenue, a very useful one. Businesses will be able to choose products they want to have featured from their catalogs and also provides customization. The customization options include changing the look and feel of shops with a cover image and the use of accent colors.

Businesses of any size and budget will be able to use this new feature and will be able to connect with their online customers easier. Facebook Shops can be found on a business’ Facebook Page or their Instagram profile. They can also be found through stories or ads; all of these options will allow users to browse the full collection and save products as well as place orders all without leaving the app provided the business has the checkout option enabled.

Facebook and Instagram have given businesses the ability to list their products before, but this new feature will help businesses further with its new advanced features. Facebook states:

“For years, people have used our apps to buy and sell things from the early days of posting a photo of a bicycle with the caption “for sale,” to selling your coffee table on Marketplace and now shopping styles from your favorite brands and influencers on Instagram. It was the people who use our apps who envisioned social commerce. We’re helping them make it a reality. We want to give people a place to experience the joy of shopping versus the chore of buying. And we want to help small businesses adapt and make it easier for people to discover and shop for things they love.”

Facebook Shops also enables customers to message businesses through Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct. As e-commerce shopping has risen it is significantly more prevalent today than ever; this option is a welcomed addition, especially in light of the times. Facebook added:

“And in the future, you’ll be able to view a business’ shop and make purchases right within a chat in WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram Direct.”

In the summer, Instagram also will be introducing Instagram Shops in the U.S. This will give users the option to buy and find products on Instagram Explore. In addition, it will allow filter by category options such as beauty and home. Instagram will be adding a new shop tab in its navigation bar so users can go to Instagram Shop in one click as well when the tech giant releases it later this year.

There are over 1 billion Instagram accounts that are active throughout the world each month and 500 million accounts active every day; 90% of accounts follow a business on Instagram according to Facebook’s Business Marketing Overview for Instagram which it had acquired in 2012 – one reason why many major brands as well as small businesses are using Instagram and Facebook and with the new features that are geared toward small businesses; many small businesses without an existing e-commerce platform will now be given the ability to have a single online ordering platform to sell their products on social media.