The Social Shopper
Well, it looks like the way we shop will change once more. Anyone else remember back when they actually had to go into a store to see the prices of things? When catalogs were something more than a piece of “artwork” you requested just because you like to look through the pictures?
A decade or so ago the trend towards e-commerce began. One of the standout companies that performed the best (and still does today) was amazon.com. Thinking of something you want to buy? Log on to amazon (or google amazon- who else here uses Google to bring up a website instead of typing the address in the address bar?), search for the product, and you can find it in a matter of seconds. If it’s something more special (clothing, etc), you’d use Google to find it on the brand’s e-commerce site.
Well, it looks like something new is on the horizon, and we should have seen it coming. It’s social shopping, and it’s likely to be the way of the future: Facebook.
Companies across all industries are beginning their trek towards selling things on Facebook. Doing so means they can make shopping social. See what your friends are shopping for? What items they like? Facebook can make this happen, and it’s information like this that companies hope will change the way they do business online. Think of how easily targeting the market will be, and think of the power of WOM this has.
Take a quick look through Facebook. What you’ll find is that companies selling flowers, clothing, beauty supplies, home goods, and even laundry detergent are already using Facebook as an e-commerce platform. It’s just the beginning, but it will be interesting to see how this plays out. The main question I have is: will Facebook be able to maintain its current layout with this? How user friendly is it if to do any shopping, users have to visit a company’s Facebook page? In a way, the shopping aspect becomes hidden. I’m sure a change will be made, but how so we have yet to see.
Sears – Gift Cards: http://www.facebook.com/sears?sk=app_7146470109
Tide – Laundry Detergent: http://www.facebook.com/Tide?sk=app_215660388457123
1-800-Flowers: http://www.facebook.com/1800flowers?sk=app_144233745611442
Kenneth Cole – T-Shirts: http://www.facebook.com/KennethColeProductions?sk=app_10531514314
Sephora- Gifts: http://www.facebook.com/Sephora?sk=app_10339498918
