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Meta Is Pulling the Plug on Facebook Live Shopping

Live Shopping will shut down in October, after which the company will focus on Reels on Facebook and Instagram.

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Dan Avery
Facebook Live Shopping segment

Facebook Live Shopping debuted in August 2020.

 Meta

After less than two years, Facebook is shuttering its live shopping feature, parent company Meta announced in a blog post Wednesday.
As of Oct. 1, users will no longer be able to host any new or scheduled Facebook Live Shopping events. Facebook Live will continue, the company said, but you won't be able to create product playlists or tag products in your Facebook Live videos.
"As consumers' viewing behaviors are shifting to short-form video, we are shifting our focus to Reels on Facebook and Instagram," the post said, suggesting users try tagging products in Reels on Instagram as a possible substitute.

A makeup tips video on Facebook Live Shopping.

A makeup tips video on Facebook Live Shopping.

 Meta

After some trial runs and beta testing, Facebook made livestream shopping widely available in November 2020. Live Shopping Fridays was added the following May, offering demos, tutorials and other videos from retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Clinique.

Previously filmed shopping segments can still be preserved, according to Meta, by downloading them onto your profile page or in Creator Studio.
The announcement comes just weeks after TikTok reportedly dropped plans to expand its own live e-commerce initiative, TikTok Shop, to the US and mainland Europe.