What you need to know
- Twitter is testing buying goods on iOS.
- A new Shop Module will let people purchase items from special profiles that have it enabled.
- It is now testing with a handful of brands in the U.S.
Twitter has today begun testing a new Shop Module on iOS that will let users buy products on its platform.
Twitter stated, "today, we're launching a pilot of the Shop Module -- a feature that allows us to explore how shoppable profiles can create a pathway from talking about and discovering products on Twitter to actually purchasing them."
The company says that the Shop Module is a "dedicated space at the top of a profile where businesses can showcase their products." Visitors will be able to showcase a carousel of products, learn about them and buy them in-app without ever having to leave Twitter.
This new feature is being tested only on iPhone for a "small handful of brands in the United States."
From the company:
We believe in the power of the conversations that Twitter facilitates around products. With this pilot, we'll get to explore how our engaged, responsive and chatty audience reacts to products that are emotionally charged -- like a new jersey from your favorite sports team -- or that provide lasting impact -- like a new skincare regimen. And, fundamentally, it'll give us the chance to keep learning about which shopping experiences people prefer on Twitter.
Twitter is also building a new Merchant Advisory Board that will feature brands that have "established themselves as best-in-class examples of merchants on Twitter". Twitter says it will partner with these brands to more easily address the needs of businesses.
The idea of buying something on Twitter might sound alien to some but seems like another possible way Twitter could leverage its massive user-base as a tool for revenue.
