Instagram’s current shopping features will be phased out, but not completely, as parent company Meta intends to test a simpler and less personalized version of the shopping page known internally as “Tab Lite.”
The social media platform plans to change the focus of its e-commerce initiatives to those that directly drive advertising.
Instagram announced its Shopping feature for regular posts in 2017 and decided to expand it in 2018 to better commercialize the well-known Stories feature. However, an internal memo has informed employees that Instagram’s existing shopping page will sooner or later disappear “due to shifts in company priorities.”
As The Information reports, “Instagram is planning to drastically scale back its shopping features, the company told Instagram staffers on Tuesday, as it shifts the focus of its e-commerce efforts to those that directly drive advertising. The retreat shows how Meta Platforms is moving away from some long-term projects as it focuses on building its short-form video business.”
According to the report, the company would conduct a public test of changes to its app designed to switch users to the “Tab Lite” version of the shopping page on Wednesday.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.