New Instagram Feature Alerts Consumers To New Product Launches

smartphone woman Instagram

Instagram, in its continued effort to expand its eCommerce offerings, has launched a new feature that will allow a user to be notified when a product becomes available for purchase, according to reports.

The feature is available through just-added stickers in Instagram Stories and tags in a person’s feed, and can be set with details like the date and product details. 

Streetwear company Chinatown Market President Dan Altmann said the new feature is an intuitive way to do business. 

“Drops are a key part of streetwear and we’re excited to evolve the industry together with Instagram. From going live on Instagram to designing shirts with our fans to posting Stories around the office, Instagram is the main place we connect with our fans,” he said. “We were excited to jump on checkout and the response has been incredible with our first drop selling out in seconds. Now, the ability to set reminders will allow our fans to be notified and make the process even more seamless than it already is.”

Instagram has huge reach — upwards of 1 billion people use the app every month and 500 million use it daily. More and more people are using it to shop, as well. More than a third of users have bought something using their phone, and they’re 70 percent more likely to buy something than people who don’t use the social media site. 

“With more of these shopping moments happening on Instagram, we wanted to make it easier for people to discover and follow upcoming product launches from brands and creators they love,” Instagram said in a blog post announcing the feature. “The product launch sticker in Instagram Stories and product launch tag in feed lets people set reminders for the launch date, preview product details and buy as soon as a product is available without leaving Instagram.”