Pinterest Unveils Shopping Features, Shopify Checkout Integration

Pinterest has used its annual advertiser summit Thursday (March 10) to announce new features that let more users complete purchases without leaving the app, a company release notes.

At the Pinterest Presents event, the company said it will be allowing users to complete transactions within the app, something long requested by users.

This will all be done through Checkout, a native tool available in beta for some U.S. merchants through Shopify. Pinterest plans to make use of a new application programming interface (API) for shopping to automate the uploading and updating of catalogs.

In addition, Pinterest will work with Tan France, a shopping personality, to introduce the Your Shop feature, which is a personalized “concierge” that offers custom commerce pages based on users’ activities and preferences.

According to Pinterest, monthly shoppers on the platform spend twice what those on rival platforms do. Brands with merchant details on the profiles were also 16% more likely to make a sale, the company said.

Pinterest is also adding more features in its Trends platform for Canada, the U.K. and the U.S., along with others to be added later this year.

Instagram has been using a similar feature for several years now.

Read more: Pinterest Users Can Tap New AR Home Decor Tool

Pinterest is also reportedly working on a new augmented reality tool, allowing users to evaluate home décor options and look at them virtually prior to buying, PYMNTS wrote.

Try On for Home Décor, as it’s called, will be a “new way for Pinners to browse items” that capture their attention, letting them place the products in a virtual room through AR technology and their Pinterest Lens camera.

Pinterest noted the customers’ fascination with home décor inspiration, according to its ad data.

“Since the pandemic began, we’re seeing more digitally savvy shoppers than ever before, as millions of people now expect virtual and mobile options to try before they buy, see personalized recommendations, and gather information as part of their decision-making process,” Jeremy King, senior vice president of engineering at Pinterest.