Twitter drives e-commerce initiatives
Twitter is bolstering its e-commerce game with the launch of its mobile-first Twitter Shops test feature, which allows merchants to showcase up to 50 products on their Twitter profile.
Twitter is bolstering its e-commerce game with the launch of its mobile-first Twitter Shops test feature, which allows merchants to showcase up to 50 products on their Twitter profile.
Free to use, Twitter Shops aims to encourage users click through and browse merchants’ selection and check out on the platform.
However, these transactions aren’t taking place on Twitter. Users must first click the “View Shop” button to visit their Twitter shop. When the customer is ready to purchase, clicking on the item directs them to the merchant’s website to complete the transaction in an in-app browser. Twitter is not currently monetizing the new product while in testing.
Last summer, Twitter piloted a Shop Module which offered only up to five products to scroll through. In contrast, Twitter Shops enables merchants to feature up to up to 10,000-product catalog from a CSV file, with name, description, pricing and other details.
Last November, Twitter also asked Walmart to test Live Shopping, a livestream shopping platform, reporting that Walmart received more than 2 million views during the livestreamed event but did not reveal conversions. Live Shopping has since rolled out to food delivery brand Gopuff and Samsung.
The Twitter Shops, Shop Module, and Live Shopping are housed within Twitter’s Shopping Manager, where merchants can set up and manage the shopping features.
Twitter Shops will be beta tested in the U.S. in English, with hundreds of brands including @Verizon, @ArdenCove, @LatinxInPower, @GayPrideApp and @AllIDoIsCookUS. Other merchants and managed partners will also be recruited as beta participants.
Twitter has been rolling out new e-commerce features at a fast pace. Last year or so, it launched the Super Follows creator tools, Twitter Blue subscription product for power users, the Revue newsletters, NFT avatars, in-app tipping, and Twitter Spaces live audio, among others.
