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Facebook Inc is expanding its "Shops" feature to its messaging app WhatsApp in several countries and to Facebook Marketplace in the United States, the company said on Tuesday as it announced changes to its commerce tools.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said it would also introduce personalised ads in its Shops service based on users' shopping behavior.
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Zuckerberg said during Facebook's last earnings release that e-commerce is one of the company's three key areas of focus,along with working on augmented and virtual reality and helping content creators earn money on Facebook's platforms.
The company said it would in the coming months test an artificial intelligence tool called 'visual search' so users shopping on its photo-sharing site Instagram can click on items and find similar products in Shops.
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Users will be able to use this search from content on the app or on photos on their own camera rolls, Zuckerberg said.
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Facebook is also working on ways using augmented reality that shoppers can try on items, including from ads, Zuckerberg said, speaking in a live audio room on Facebook.