Instagram testing 'shopping' features in India: Details here
Back in 2018, Instagram had announced its plan to venture into the 'social shopping category' with a new Shop tab in its Explore section. The feature took off well in the US, and now, the photo-sharing giant appears to be replicating the same for users in India, although with select brands. Here is all you need to know about it.
Shop tab being piloted with select brands
According to people familiar with the internal developments at Instagram, the service has been piloting the 'Shop' tab with select Indian brands for the last six months. The company, according to these people, has been moving forward with the pilot by gradually expanding shop support to more brands, depending on their popularity on Facebook and Instagram.
How the tab works?
The Shop tab appears when you click on the Search button of Instagram and head over to the Explore section. After that, you just have to click on it to see the list of photos/videos showcasing products from different brands. Here, you can click on anything, hit the 'bag' icon to get a good look at the product and continue with the purchase.
Currently, it mixes products from Indian and international brands
We tested the tab and found that it lists products from brands operating in India and abroad at the moment. Some of the India-specific brands we saw included Global Desi, Forever 21, OnePlus India, Enamor India, Nykaa, Faballey, and Myntra. Notably, there were also some business accounts that started selling on Instagram (via feed posts) even before the dedicated shopping capabilities were announced.
Also, order is placed via merchant website
Additionally, it is also worth noting that the Shop tab currently redirects the user to the merchant's website where they get the option to pay and complete the purchase of the chosen product. In the future, Instagram would change this and enable the checkout option to select size and pay within its app itself. The option is likely to roll out later this year.
Merchants not being charged right now
"Currently it is being redirected to our website from Instagram and we are not paying anything for it," one of the brands told Entrackr. "They charge merchants in the US for this, but it's unclear on when or whether they will do this in India."
Bringing shopping to India makes sense for Instagram
While it remains unclear when Shopping would roll-out fully in India, the plan makes sense, given the country dominates as the second-largest market for the company. Instagram boasts 73 million users in India and the only nation that sits ahead is the US - with 113 million users. That said, its goal looks clear here: capture the biggest markets with shopping and boost revenues.
