Shopify Launches Social Commerce App

Shopify is turing to social media for its next commerce app.

Christopher Lobay, product director for Sello, Shopify’s new social commerce-centric app, told TechCrunch Thursday (Nov. 11) that Sello’s mission now that it’s launched is to “democratize” the act of selling products online. Instead of being limited to online marketplaces where platform owners may charge a fee to list and take a cut of every transaction, Lobay explained that opening up a digital shop on social media sites cuts out the middleman and allows merchants to open up direct lines of communication with shoppers.

“We think the marketplaces of the future are these social networks and instant messaging and all that stuff,” Lobay told TechCrunch. “Every person has their own footprint, and we allow them to reach out to the community that matters most to them.”

In an interview with ZDNet, Lobay clarified how Sello would fit into Shopify’s larger plans. In essence, Sello is a dedicated platform for individuals who want to connect with other small groups of customers. However, if the goal is to scale in time and acquire more customers and more internal resources to serve them, then Lobay recommended sticking with Shopify as a more robust platform.

As of Thursday, Sello is available for download on both iOS and Android, and TechCrunch explained that it comes with no transaction fees for the frugal merchant. However, payment processing fees are still part of Sello, so retailers will have to choose their financial services partners carefully to keep their thin eCommerce margins thick enough to see real success with Shopify’s newest venture.

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