Instagram Rolls Out Ecommerce In Stories, As Snapchat Tests Shoppable Ads

After rolling out the ability for users to share shoppable links within their Instagram feed posts in 2016, the social platform is adding the feature to its popular ‘Stories‘ product — which is used by 300 million people every day.

“On Instagram Stories, when you see a sticker with a shopping bag icon, tap on it to see more details about that product,” the company shared in a blog post,” noting that brands like Adidas, Aritzia, and Louis Vuitton are piloting the feature. Instagram added that a recent survey found that users frequently watch Stories to keep up with and glimpse an insider view of their favorite brands, as well as to discover relevant products.

While Instagram is rolling out the feature with only a handful of retail partners, it could eventually be a particularly grabby tool for influencers to guide followers toward items they’re selling.

To this end, competitor Snapchat has also ramped up its ecommerce capabilities in recent weeks. The company is now testing shoppable ads that can run in both its premium Discover section and between user-generated Stories, AdWeek reports. Snapchat will also also provides marketers with performance metrics for these ads. Additionally, ticket seller SeatGeek has been partnering with Snapchat for the past several months to vend tickets to events within the Stories of companies like Major League Soccer (MLS).