Instagram expands shopping to IGTV and Reels in move that mimics China’s popular social commerce model
- The social commerce business model, which includes shopping from short video apps and live-streaming, is widely used in China
- During the first half of this year, there were more than 10 million e-commerce related live streaming sessions in China
Facebook’s Instagram is bringing shopping to its stand-alone longform video app IGTV and short video feature Reels in a move that takes it a step closer to embracing China’s popular social commerce model.
Shopping on IGTV is rolling out globally and Instagram said it will test shopping on Reels later this year. On IGTV, users can now watch and buy an item with a few taps right from the video, completing the purchase on the seller’s website.
“By bringing shopping to IGTV and Reels, we’re making it easy to shop directly from videos. And in turn, helping sellers share their story, reach customers, and make a living,” Instagram chief operating officer Justin Osofsky said in a statement on Monday.
Earlier this year, Instagram introduced Instagram Shop, where users can visit a shopping page within a business Instagram profile, or by going through Instagram Feed, Explore and Stories.
The social commerce business model, which includes shopping from short video apps and live-streaming, is widely used in China. During the first half of this year, there were more than 10 million e-commerce related live streaming sessions in China, attracting more than 50 billion views, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.