Get ready: Shopping on Facebook is about to be a thing
It’s already a little too easy to shop for anything, all the time at your desk or on your phone. The best way to keep your bank account in tact when you’re, say, Facebooking a “Happy Birthday” message is to totally forget about the option to shop your brains off. Good luck with that. Soon “Add to Cart” will be as easy as “Add Friend” as Facebook tests out its first real e-commerce venture. This means that a select number of small/medium size businesses can sell their products through Facebook—users can look, click and purchase all without leaving the site.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because Facebook sorta already tried this, partnering with retailers like Gap and Nordstrom a few years back, but it never really took off. As one market analyst told Mashable, “It was like trying to sell stuff to people while they’re hanging out with their friends at the bar.” But, in 2015, Facebook’s role has changed from casual place to interact with friends to an integral part of our lives IRL. With things like Messenger, video chat and money transfer, the website has become of a hub for much more than just “poking.” E-commerce (or F-commerce, as they’re calling it) is the next step in that journey.
Facebook isn’t making money off of this service, which has only been opened up to a handful of unnamed stores, but they’re hoping that its success will prompt an increase in advertising. It’s unclear when this service will be officially rolled out, as well as how retailers will sign up, but one thing is definitely for certain: it’s going to make a dent in my wallet. I don’t know about you, but I’m worried about it being too addictive and easy to shop during the day if my favorite clothes and products are literally staring at me in the face on Facebook. *Deep breath* I guess there are worse problems to have. Bring on the shop-a-thon, Mr. Zuckerberg.
(Image via ABC Family)
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