Instagram brings in-app shopping feature to Stories

Instagram users are now able to buy products via Instagram Stories, the social network announced on Tuesday. Instagram launched its shopping feature in March, allowing businesses to tag products in their photos. Those photos display a shopping bag icon, on which users can tap to reveal the products’ descriptions and pricing. If interested, they can tap again to be directed to the retailer’s website. Now, the same functionality is to be included on Instagram Stories, the feature that allows users to post pictures and videos that disappear after 24 hours.

According to Instagram’s statement, more than 300 million accounts are active on the Stories feature every day, either posting or viewing other users’ stories. The social network added that many instagrammers use the feature to stay up to date about their favorite brands and discover new products and services. One in three Instagram users in the US, UK, Brazil and Indonesia said they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it on Instagram Stories, according to a research conducted by Instagram in March. As a result, half of all 25 million businesses present on Instagram create at least one story a month.

However, the new functionality is not yet available for all businesses. Instagram informed in its statement that it is currently working on the feature’s expansion, with more news to follow soon.