Dive Brief:
- Seeking to enhance its in-app shopping experience, Pinterest has introduced new shopping features, the company announced via email to Retail Dive.
- The Pinterest API for Shopping allows sellers to manage their product catalog and metadata. Its Product Tagging Pins now enable merchants to tag their products in their catalog to branded content and images, the company said.
- With the new Video in Catalogs tool, sellers can now create videos for the items in their catalog, allowing shoppers to view their products from multiple angles. The platform also added a Shop tab on business profiles to help sellers better showcase their merchandise.
Dive Insight:
Pinterest said the platform has been releasing shopping features to catalyze social commerce in the app. Before rolling out the Product Pin tagging capability, the platform released the ability for users to tag shoppable Product Pins to their Idea Pins in October. About a year ago, the platform also started allowing creators to tag products on their Idea Pins and earn commissions through affiliate links and brand deals for sponsored content.
In addition to the new Shop tab on business profiles, the platform has added other tools to help users shop based on the content they search for or have engaged with on the app. The company introduced a Shop tab for customers in 2020. The previous Shop tab showcased in-stock items through its search function or in a similar tab on users’ boards. Last summer, it debuted its Shopping List feature, where users could store their Product Pins and receive price discount updates.
Beyond releasing features that allow customers to shop the content they see on the app, Pinterest has also focused on creating engaging shopping experiences for its users. In November, the platform unveiled Pinterest TV, a series that featured content creators showcasing products from brands like Allbirds and Outdoor Voices in shoppable livestreams. Earlier this year, it released its Try-On for Home Decor tool, an AR home furnishing visualization feature.
But as the platform unveils a suite of new features tailored to improve social commerce on the app, the company has undergone a significant leadership change and closed on a key acquisition recently. In late June, former Google President of Commerce Bill Ready became Pinterest’s new CEO, and co-founder and former CEO Ben Silbermann transitioned into the company’s first executive chairman. Last month, the platform also acquired The Yes, an AI platform that uses customers’ brand, style and size information to provide a tailored e-commerce experience, according to a company press release.
