Hisham Sarwar
Facebook is rolling out a major update called Shops. The company plans to convert Facebook and Instagram pages to digital stores.
Today we’re introducing Facebook Shops, which will make it easy for businesses to set up a single online store on both @facebookapp and @instagram, and soon @messenger and @WhatsApp too pic.twitter.com/bBloRGBFzP
— Facebook (@Facebook) May 19, 2020
This new feature is going to excite plenty of small businesses. It surely is a surprise no one thought is coming by any stretch of the imagination but we do know that Facebook is introducing new features amid Covid-19 lockdowns such as WhatsApp calls and Messenger Rooms.
The feature was unveiled by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a LIVE stream. This new feature will allow businesses to let people shop online on a Facebook page. Shops will be supported by third-party websites such as Shopify or BigCommerce. Businesses will also be able to implement customer loyalty programs in the future.
As stated on Facebook NewsRoom, setting up a shop is simple.
“Creating a Facebook Shop is free and simple. Businesses can choose the products they want to feature from their catalog and then customize the look and feel of their shop with a cover image and accent colors that showcase their brand. This means any seller, no matter their size or budget, can bring their business online and connect with customers wherever and whenever it’s convenient for them.”
It’s not just Facebook that is rolling out Shops, Instagram is also getting its own shopping experience. This surely is an attempt to push eCommerce to a larger scale. The shop will be rolled out in the US this summer according to a tweet by Instagram.
Instagram Shop…coming this summer to the US 👛🙌 https://t.co/JXEGk80myq
— Instagram (@instagram) May 19, 2020
As mentioned earlier, Facebook is introducing all new features in the times of COVID-19 lockdowns to help people communicate better and do business online. The shops for Facebook and Instagram is another good feature that will help small businesses who have suffered a lot in the last few months because of lockdown all over the world.
Many small brick and mortar businesses may not be able to reopen even after lockdown amid lack of income and financial support required to run a business because of the costs associated such as bills and staff salaries. The virtual shops will help them a long way in establishing their business regaining financial freedom in the near future.
Facebook is starting to roll out shops today.
