Facebook Collections. Tried, tested - triumphant?
Having commented in a recent post on Pinterest's as yet unexploited commercial potential, it's interesting to note that Facebook has recently concluded testing of their own Pinterest-style picture album feature - one equipped with the all-important capacity to purchase.
Rolled out inti ally in October with retail partners including Pottery Barn, Fab.com, Victoria's Secret, Smith Optics and Wayfair, the scheme equips products featured in news feeds with two new buttons.
Want adds selected items to a 'Wishlist' section of the Timeline, while a Collect feature adds product image and details to a customisable, pinboard-like 'Collections' page which can, of course, be shared with friends.
Both these options (and indeed, a retail-specific version of the standard 'Like' button) allow users to "...click through and buy these items off of Facebook."
Having completed 17 days of U.S.-only testing, Facebook have temporarily withdrawn the feature, promising, however, the imminent return of their personal catalogue-creation option.
And with Apple reportedly showing an interest in The Fancy, a Pinterest rival promising users the opportunity to "Discover amazing stuff, collect the things you love, unlock crazy good deals" it looks like Pinterest are going to have to move pretty quickly to muscle in on the sales opportunities uncovered by their own wildly popular 'discovery-engine' format.
