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Mobile has changed the way we shop, and Instagram has changed the way we discover new brands and products. But until now, to combine the two, Instagrammers have had to tag their posts with designer's accounts, link to blog posts, or use hashtags. But in a limited test starting today, Instagram users will now be able to shop items straight from Instagram posts.
Now, participating partners can tag up to five items in a post. You can then tap the post to learn more information about the tagged product, or even buy it. Instagram is working with 20 partners — including J. Crew, Kate Spade, and JackThreads — on this new feature. The idea is to turn Instagram not just into a place for discovery, but also browsing and actual shopping.
Right now, the shopping functionality is pretty basic, building on what Instagram users have already been doing to direct potential shoppers to items they're showing off. When you've found something you want to buy, you're taken to a partner's website to complete the purchase.
"The behavior is already there," says Jim Squires, Instagram's market operations director. "The idea is to just make it easier to go through those steps and have a nicer experience with products on the platform."
Read on for a look at what these new posts will look like.
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