Instagram Introduces Live-Stream Shopping Events for the Holidays, with Free Shipping on All Orders

Instagram is expanding its live-stream commerce efforts with the debut of a new series of holiday-themed broadcasts, which will include exclusive product releases and influencer recommendations to help boost interest.

Over the last two months of the year, Instagram will host a variety of shopping-related broadcasts, including weekly interactive live streams, which will begin this week. Look for the #BuyBlack Live Shopping series on Fridays in November (November 5, 12, and 19) to discover brands from creative Black artists. Instagram is sponsoring a Holiday Pop-Up Shop LIVE series from December 5 to 15. Imagine the enchantment and romance of a holiday market, but from the comfort of your own home.

In addition, Instagram will feature a weekly lineup of influencer 'Guest Edit' collections, beginning with Paloma Elsesser's new display. Instagram is also unveiling new Gift Guides by price category on the Shop tab, which will highlight ideas in a variety of pricing ranges (up to $250), as well as new tips and recommendations from the Instagram Shop team. The new features will be available by selecting "Holiday Picks" from the app's Shop menu.

Finally, Instagram wants to help shops boost holiday sales by giving customers 20% off their first purchase via the app, as well as free shipping on qualified transactions.

How will merchants be affected by this procedure?

Facebook is telling merchants that they can apply for $15 in shopping credits on transactions, which will be repaid by Facebook at the settlement stage, according to @jaketheadnerd. That might be a powerful incentive to drive more direct conversions from Facebook and Instagram throughout the holiday season.

If you haven't heard, live-stream shopping has a lot of promise. It's already a big part of eCommerce in China, where it's expected to become a $423 billion business by 2023. As a result, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram are all attempting to capitalize on the trend, which coincides with the rise in online buying fueled by the epidemic, as well as the advantages of live-stream involvement, which can aid to trigger engagement and purchase activity.

It remains to be seen whether western audiences will be as receptive to the procedure, and the effects of the huge reopening as a result of the vaccination roll-out will also play a role in uptake. However, considering where shopper interest is today and how things may evolve in the next months, the opportunity exists right now. That's why Christmas 2021 might be a watershed moment in consumer behavior, and Instagram wants to be a part of it in whatever way it can.