Instagram aiming to help shoppers

Instagram has announced two updates that it claims will make shopping easier on the social-media platform.

After testing ‘Shopping in Stories’ in June, the company has now rolled it out globally in 46 countries. While watching behind-the-scenes stories from brands, consumers will be able to tap on a product to learn more about it.

The platform says more than 400 million accounts come to ‘Stories’ every day to feel closer to their favourite things. It also says one third of the most-viewed stories come from businesses. ‘Stories’ therefore enables brands to tell an even deeper story about what’s behind their products.

Shopping channel

Instagram has also announced a shopping channel in ‘Explore’ that will be personalised to a consumer. Topic channels, which launched in June, allow users to browse their interests and go deeper on any area they like.

Now, when a user simply wants to ‘shop for fun’, they’ll see a channel dedicated to shopping posts from the brands they follow and the brands they might like. The shopping channel will expand globally over the coming weeks.

According to Instagram, more than 90 million accounts tap to reveal tags in shopping posts on Instagram every month. The company says this illustrates that people are increasingly coming to the platform to connect with their favourite brands.

“We’re thrilled to announce these new shopping updates to Instagram,” Facebook ANZ Group Industry Director Naomi Shepherd said.

“People come to our platform because they can connect with their friends and their interests in one place. But it’s also become the destination for the next generation of shoppers.

“Over half of young Australians have bought something through Instagram before. And nearly two thirds of Aussie small businesses say the platform has helped them increase sales.

“We’re committed to building our Instagram shopping tools for both customers and businesses. These new updates provide new pathways to inspiration and connection for our community.”