Twitter is launching another experimental shopping feature, with in-app storefronts for brands and businesses.
The feature, called Twitter Shops, is an expansion of the “shop module” it launched last summer. But while the shop module only allowed companies to showcase a handful of products on their profile page, the latest update gives the stores a dedicated, full-screen space for up to 50 items. The shops will only be available to a handful of businesses for now, and the shops will be viewable for US Twitter users who use the app in English.
While Twitter is billing the feature as an “experiment,” the company has hinted that it has much bigger ambitions in the space. The company said at its most recent analyst day presentation that it sees e-commerce as a major opportunity. Shopping also ties in nicely with Twitter’s recent embrace of monetization features for creators, and the company has piloted shopping features in livestreams.