Instagram Develops Standalone Shopping App

The Verge recently divulged that Instagram is building a new standalone app where users can browse a seller’s collection of merchandise and purchase them directly within the app.

Sources have said that Instagram believes it is well-positioned to expand into e-commerce, with 25 million businesses already having Instagram accounts. However, Instagram and other sources could not confirm when the app will be launched, and even then, there is no certainty if it would even be released.

The app, along with other merchant tools that Facebook might release, is likely to present a big challenge to e-commerce platforms such as Shopify.  

 

Source: Reuters