Instagram Revises Its Approach to In-App Shopping

Instagram has been testing in-stream shopping for more than a year, but it looks like the platform is taking a step back to reconsider its approach. The company has confirmed that it is scaling back its in-stream shopping tests and has removed the ability for users to make purchases directly from Instagram posts. This doesn't mean that Instagram is giving up on in-stream shopping entirely, but it does suggest that the platform is still figuring out the best way to integrate this type of commerce into its user experience. In-stream shopping on Instagram allows users to purchase products directly from posts in their feeds. The feature was first tested with a small group of select businesses in the US, and it was later rolled out to a wider group of users in the country. However, it looks like Instagram is now putting the brakes on in-stream shopping as it re-evaluates its approach. A spokesperson for the company confirmed that in-stream shopping is no longer available to users, but they didn't provide any further details on the decision. It's not clear why Instagram has decided to scale back its in-stream shopping tests, but it's possible that the company is concerned about the user experience. In-stream shopping could be seen as intrusive and disruptive, especially if users are presented with too many purchase options while scrolling through their feeds. Instagram may also be worried about cannibalizing its own advertising business. If users are able to make purchases directly from posts, they may be less likely to click on ads, which would impact Instagram's bottom line. For now, it seems that Instagram is taking a cautious approach to in-stream shopping, and it's possible that we won't see the feature rolled out widely until the platform is confident that it won't negatively impact the user experience.

Mariana Rocha 08 Sep 2022