Twitter launches new shopping feature through livestreams

Twitter has stepped up on virtual shopping, introducing a new Live Shopping feature to allow its users to shop looks and products during live broadcasts.

The company said in its blog post that the new feature will allow users to check out the Shoppable Banner and Shop Tab on the Live event’s page, toggle back and forth between the Latest Tab and the Shop Tab throughout the live stream and continue to watch the livestream on the merchant’s website within an in-app browser.

Twitter will be piloting the Live Shopping feature in its debut shoppable livestream hosted in partnership with Walmart and Jason Derulo on 28 November. Starting on 7pm ET, the event will include offerings such as electronics, home goods, apparel, seasonal décor.

The company said in its blog: "Livestreaming on Twitter gives businesses the power to engage with their most influential fans, and adding the ability to shop into this experience is a natural extension to attracting and engaging with receptive audiences."

In July, Twitter first announced that it was working on a new feature that would allow users to shop and purchase products through an in-app window. The company piloted a Shop Module where select businesses in the United States can scroll through a carousel of products and purchase seamlessly without having to leave Twitter.

In addition to the new shopping feature, the company also introduced a one-stop-shop for business merchants to house merchant onboarding and product catalog management tools through the Twitter Shopping Manager.

The move comes as social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest are exploring similar shopping features based around livestream formats to expand its e-commerce operations.