Goodbye, savings account. Instagram (aka where the best 1 a.m. purchase decisions happen) has integrated its Shopping feature further into its platform, unveiling a new tool that allows users to buy things on IG without ever leaving the app. Instagram's new 2019 shopping tool is known as "checkout on Instagram" — which will also be the exact phrase that pops up when you tap on that pic of Prada heels, or a snapshot of Outdoor Voices leggings.
Of course, some of the most Instagrammable brands are the first to try out the beta feature. Your designer fix will be covered by Balmain, Burberry, Dior, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, and Prada, who will all be rolling out the feature in the upcoming weeks. You'll also be able to shop affordable, fan-favorite ready-to-wear brands like H&M, Zara, and Outdoor Voices too — and you should definitely get prepared for it, because the temptation of these $20 snakeskin pants H&M posted may be too great to resist.
"Burberry is always pushing for digital innovation that improves our customers’ experience," reads a quote by Rachel Waller, Burberry's VP of Digital Marketing, on Instagram's business blog. "We have seen great results from the monthly B Series product drops which launched last September, bridging the journey from inspiration to e-commerce for our social community for the first time. We are excited to expand our social commerce as one of the first brands to adopt checkout on Instagram."
Not sure about putting your credit card information into a photo-sharing app? Instagram covered how the security side of the new feature will work. The first time you use the checkout feature, you'll type in what you usually do when you online shop: Your name, email, billing info, and shipping address. Instagram will securely save your information — making future purchases that much easier — as well as send you shipping notifications inside the Instagram app. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal will be accepted; Instagram noted in the business blog that its partnering up with PayPal to process the payments, as well.
"The power of social media is undeniable, so I am not surprised that Instagram is bridging the gap between e-commerce and its global audience," said Huda Kattan in a press email, founder of Huda Beauty, one of the beauty companies on-track to introduce the new feature. "Instagram Shopping is definitely going to revolutionize the way consumers shop by making products much more accessible, but it will also change how businesses operate online. This tool directly challenges existing e-commerce platforms so it’s a really exciting time to see how direct sales through the platform will change consumer behavior and if Instagram Shopping will become a key revenue stream for brands.”
