Yelp Adds On-Site Purchasing

Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman announced via a blog post yesterday that the company has launched Yelp Platform, a new service that allows users to make purchases with select merchants through Yelp.

Stoppelman indicated the new service would first be available for food delivery and pickup businesses. Starting July 9, Yelp users have the ability to order at restaurants supported by delivery.com and Eat24.

“These services will be available on any screen that you use Yelp today, whether you’re on iOS, mobile web or desktop [and coming soon for Android],” Stoppelman wrote.

In the coming months, the CEO said Yelp Platform will expand to new categories, including yoga studios, spas and salons, among others.

Previous research has suggested Yelp is better than most social media sites at referring customers to businesses. This move may help Yelp capitalize on its active user base, and could help it transition from a popular social network to viable eCommerce player.

For more on this story, read the full announcement here.