Chris DeGraw/Digital Trends After trying hardware in the form of Spectacles camera glasses, Snap Inc. now it’s experimenting with a different form of selling — in-app merchandise. That’s right, now you can buy that dancing stuffed hot dog you never knew you wanted, all without leaving the app. On Thursday, February 1st, Snapchat added the Snap Store to the Discover section, allowing you to buy anything in the app, from plush toys to t-shirts.
The Snap Store is located within the Discover section of the app. Tapping on the new Snapchat store opens up a Story-like store experience. The first images tell users how to use the store, with a warning that items can disappear at any time.
After the introduction, the Snapchat Store continues the Story Style format by showing product animations. Users can swipe up to see the full product description and price in the storefront. Tapping and holding an image allows users to send products to friends, while one tap moves to the next item. In keeping with the Stories format, users can also subscribe to the Snap Store to keep up to date with the latest items in the store.
The Snapchat Store currently offers only Snapchat-themed merchandise, from a “hot streak” hat to a sweatshirt with a flashing face. The in-app option makes shopping more like using Snapchat rather than the lengthy process of switching products online.
Snapchat hasn’t said whether the store will eventually feature third-party products, though purchases like Stories could be a way for other companies to showcase their wares to Snapchat’s younger audience. With storefront programming built in, it’s not too hard to imagine running stories that can be bought to advertisers, but then again, Snap Inc. he did not suggest any expanded plans for the store. The app saves payment information for later purchases within the Snapchat store.
Glasses Snap Inc. were the company’s first move towards physical products. Although it was initially well-received and created queues around exclusive vending machines on its first launch, the company later overestimated demand and suffered a loss on unsold camera glasses.
The store option comes as Snap Inc. wants to please investors after a disappointing first year on the stock market. The company is also introducing a redesign aimed at making the platform easier to understand for new users. A new option to share stories outside of the Snapchat app could also help expose the app to more potential new users — and of course, seeing a Snapchat shirt could do some of the same.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn