Snap on Wednesday (Jan. 26) debuted a new type of Shopping Lens that allows users to swipe through multiple products and browse details on pricing, color, sizing and similar items from the retailer, according to a blog post on the company’s website.
Ulta Beauty and MAC Cosmetics are the first companies to use the new type of Shopping Lenses, the company said in its announcement. Several other brands will be adding their own swipeable Shopping Lenses “in the coming months,” according to the announcement.
“From clothing and accessories to makeup and shoes, Snap’s Lenses make the shopping experience more personal, accessible and fun through augmented reality,” the blog post says. “With thousands of products to check out virtually, Snapchatters can express their style, try-on digital versions of real-life products, click through to purchase them, and even share their shopping adventures with friends.”
Snapchat users engage with augmented reality (AR) more than 6 billion times a day and 93% of them are interested in using AR for shopping, the company says.
“We hope Snapchatters have fun trying these products on for size and sharing Snaps with friends for a final say on their looks,” the blog post says.
Related: Big Retailers Turn to Shoppable Livestreams to Engage and Entertain Consumers
In 2020, the social commerce sector topped $27 billion in sales, and most experts believe it’s only going to get even bigger. Snap has an “audience” of more than 200 million daily active users. Snap’s Black Friday sale featured AR shopping experiences Hollister, Under Armour, Verizon, American Eagle, Fendi, Dior, Shein, NYX Cosmetics, Amazon Prime Video and Tory Burch, among others.
Also read: Social Media Firms May See $10B Loss in Sales From Apple Changes
In October, several social media platforms — including Snap, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube — lost almost $10 billion because of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency policy on iPhones, which means apps have to ask for permission before tracking user activity and sending out personalized ads. Many users have opted out, leaving advertisers scrambling to connect with users in other ways.
The changes were put out in late April but didn’t start hitting customers at the highest level until June.
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