MELBOURNE: Facebook has become the next frontier in online retailing, with a Melbourne-based company facilitating sales directly through the social networking site.
Digital technology company Portable has released a new Facebook Shopping application, so labels can load products onto their facebook page and fulfil transactions.
Portable creative director Andrew Apostola said the system means customers do not need to be diverted to a separate website to make a purchase. It is available to brands already using the Portable Shops system (formerly called Swappler) for their online boutiques.
“Over the past six months we were noticing that close to 70 per cent of purchases were being made by customers who had linked from facebook,” he said. "Rather than distracting users, we decided to allow people to buy from where they spend most of the time – on facebook”.
Portable facilitates e-commerce sites for over 40 labels including Arnsdorf, TV, Sara Phillips, Karla Spetic, Therese Rawsthorne and Carly Hunter. Josh Goot and Akira will also launch their online stores using Portable Shops shortly.
Portable was founded in 2006 and operates offices out of Melbourne and New York.