Facebook opens Shop—a new e-commerce tab for brands to showcase their wares

Facebook has launched a new Shop tab, which follows a similar e-commerce play on Instagram from earlier this year.

On Tuesday, Facebook Shop opened with a prominent placement in the social network’s mobile app. Consumers will see the Shop option in the No. 1 position when they click on the Facebook menu in the app, in the same area they find Watch videos, Groups, Marketplace, Games and News.

The Shop opens to a section populated by businesses showcasing products, and includes a category to “explore brands.” Facebook Shop is basically the same program as Instagram Shop, which was released in May in the “Explore” section, delivering a smattering of products for consumers to scroll through.

In May, Facebook updated many of its e-commerce features, capitalizing on the opportunity presented by the recent pandemic that led many consumers to shop from home. Facebook evolved its family of apps, which includes Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, to make it easier for businesses to transact on the platform.