Facebook adds shopping feature in app

According to a Facebook blog post, 1 billion people visit Pages every month to learn more about businesses. Smartphones has completely transformed shopping experience for consumers with apps. By removing the kinks, Facebook hopes to smooth the process and boost purchases using mobile devices which now account for only 2 percent of all retail sales, says eMarketer, a research firm.

Users will be able to shop for clothes and other products from their mobile phones without ever leaving its app. This move is seen as Facebook’s further foray into e-commerce to compete with Amazon Inc’s (AMZN.O) retail offerings.

For when you like your social media stalking with a side of shoe shopping. Canvas allows users to browse different products in a fast loading and full-screen experience from which they can browse through a variety of products, even before making a purchase the on retailer’s website. By incorporating a “Buy” call-to-action button, the company said Canvas would enable users to click on ads in their News Feed to purchase directly from a business without having to leave Facebook.

In coming weeks the social networking site, Facebook, will test a Shopping section that will provide users a single place to share, discover and buy products. Among the new features are ads that take a user through a specific brand’s products without redirecting them to another site.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, Facebook began testing Canvas ads in September with Michael Kors and Mr Porter, and said Target would be one of the merchants to begin testing the new product-focused experience unveiled Monday. For Facebook, shopping is just another thing you do in the real world, like chatting with friends or reading the news.

Facebook said it will soon introduce news feeds dedicated to shopping ads to facilitate the mobile shopping experience and make it easier for both customers and businesses to come together.

Those ads will show as normal in the news feed, but when people click through they will be taken to a special page within Facebook.