If Instagram stops copying a trend, does that mean it’s a bad idea?
What’s going on: Instagram is backing off its attempts to recreate in-platform shopping experience—a trend that immensely popular in China.
The app intends to significantly scale back shopping features, remove the Shop tab, and shift away from in-stream commerce.
It’s not just Instagram: Meta recently tried to turn Messenger into a native commerce app before abandoning the project.
Even TikTok is seeing declines in shopping behavior in the US and Europe.
Why we care: Unlike videos, social shopping just isn’t sticking with Western audiences.
That’s good to know if you were hoping to turn your livestreams into live sprees.
Speaking of e-commerce…
Alex Lim
Alex Lim is a certified book reviewer and editor with over 10 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has reviewed hundreds of books for reputable magazines and websites, such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Goodreads. Alex has a master’s degree in comparative literature from Harvard University and a PhD in literary criticism from Oxford University. He is also the author of several acclaimed books on literary theory and analysis, such as The Art of Reading and How to Write a Book Review. Alex lives in London, England with his wife and two children. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook
