Canadian retailer The Bay and social media platform Pinterest on Thursday (Sept. 23) announced a new partnership to create bilingual digital lookbooks using “pinnable” products that highlight seasonal trends. The pins will bring shoppers to thebay.com to buy the items, according to the joint announcement.
“We know what trends are about to take off, because people come to Pinterest in the early planning stages of the shopping journey,” said Martin Svensson, retail head of industry at Pinterest. He noted that 97% of the top searches on Pinterest are unbranded, making the site “an effective place to reach people” who are looking for design inspiration.
“Working with The Bay to reach customers at the initial stages of the design journey was an important aspect in building a valuable resource for shoppers,” he said.
The Bay’s Pinterest lookbooks feature furniture, accent pieces, bedding and mattresses, and kitchen essentials such as bar and dinnerware, among other pieces to help shoppers outfit their entire homes.
“The Bay is helping Canadians shop for their homes with simplicity and confidence,” said Allison Litzinger, vice president of brand at The Bay. “With this digital lookbook, customers have the ability to discover trends and envision their spaces with quality products, and take the leap from ideation to reality seamlessly. This collaboration with Pinterest is reflective of The Bay’s digital-first innovation and how we are elevating the online shopping experience, bringing colorful, attainable luxury into the homes of Canadians.”
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Social commerce is projected to top $363 billion in sales this year, eMarketer has said, largely because of the data goldmine it holds and the potential for marketers to deepen and widen their customer relationships through targeted ads based on people’s specific interests.
Pinterest has been slow to harness the power of social commerce, but in its quarterly earnings call in July, the firm reiterated its plans to expand its eCommerce ecosystem. It aims to help influencers leverage its platform to sell products through the use of “shoppable pins,” such as those included in its new partnership with The Bay.