Pinterest has introduced new blue pins that will enable users to buy items they like, in association with e-commerce company Shopify.
The blue “buyable pins” will allow retailers to sell products directly through the Pinterest app.
Pinterest says buyable items will have a blue pin displaying their price. Users will be able to search for similar items based on colour and price. The company, which isn’t publicly traded, says items from brands including Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Cole Haan, Michaels and thousands of Shopify stores will have the pins. Fabric and craft retailer Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Inc. says it will also participate in the program.
Users can pay for the items they buy with Apple Pay or a credit card. Shopify says their credit card information will be stored by payment processors and not by Shopify itself.
Pinterest said iPhone and iPad users will see the pins in the next few weeks, and they’ll be available on future releases of the Android OS or desktop computers.
Pinterest is a social media site that allows users to create collections of photos, articles, recipes, videos and other images that are called “pins.”
Shopify Inc. works with merchants who want to offer their own online checkout services, providing a platform for small and mid-size businesses that sell products online. Clients can use Shopify’s software to handle sales made through mobile phones, the Web, physical stores and other means.
The Canadian company went public on May 21 with a $131 million initial public offering last month. Shopify shares are up 61 per cent from their IPO price, with most of those gains coming from a 51-per cent jump on their first day of trading. The shares lost 44 cents to $26.89 in afternoon trading Tuesday.
