Attention, shoppers: Pinterest rolls out 'Buy It' buttons
The new e-commerce feature, for now, will appear on the digital-scrapbooking site's iPhone and iPad apps in the US. But it's coming to the Android app too.
Pinterest's e-commerce "buy" buttons, long awaited by users, are out.
The popular digital-scrapbooking site on Tuesday rolled out "buyable pins" for its iPhone and iPad apps. The feature will allow shoppers to purchase products directly from Pinterest by tapping a blue "Buy It" button and using Apple Pay or a credit card.
Buyable pins, which will also be running soon on Google's Android operating system, are Pinterest's attempt to evolve from a simple digital scrapbook into more of a shopping hub. Its captive audience of users represents a potential boon for marketers -- about 93 percent of active Pinners said they use Pinterest to plan for purchases, and 87 percent said they've purchased something because of Pinterest, according to digital research firm Millward Brown.
Users in the US will be emailed when they can start purchasing from some 30 million "pins," which will display the new blue button alongside the red "Pin It" button, Pinterest product manager Michael Yamartino said in a blog. Users can also take a look at a new "Shop our Picks" category to view curated items as well as a separate "Shop" category for the latest buyable pins.
Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann announced earlier this month that the site is partnering with big-name retailers including Macy's, Nordstrom and Nieman Marcus, and relative unknowns like SOBU and Madesmith. He said the demand is apparent as 80 percent of Pinterest's 70 million active users access the site through a mobile device.
Pinterest, which lets people "pin" photos, websites, products and other items on virtual boards for others to see, earlier this year began removing links to third-party marketing networks as a likely strategy to keep the potential revenue gains for itself. Pinterest is valued at $11 billion, with users saving more than 50 billion pins on the site.