October 01, 2019
Instagram Tests Merch Drop Reminders
The new feature would allow sellers to alert their fans in advance of limited-edition product releases.
Instagram is testing a feature that would further the photo-sharing app’s transformation into an online shopping hub. The social media site may soon allow brands to send out reminder notifications before product launches.
In a blog announcement, Instagram explained that it’s become “the place where collaborations and limited releases happen” and that the new feature would “make it easier for people to discover and follow upcoming product launches from brands and creators they love.”
Instagram has partnered with around 20 brands in the U.S. – including Adidas, Balmain, Levi’s, Warby Parker, H&M and Soul Cycle – to test out the notification feature. The participating brands will be able to create a product launch sticker in Instagram Stories and a product launch tag in their feed with reminders of the merch drop date and a preview of product details. Followers of the brand would receive notifications the day before the drop as well as 15 minutes before the product launch. Instagram already has a more general product launch sticker available in Stories, but it doesn’t include the release date notification features.
The merch drop reminders are just the latest in a series of features Instagram has been rolling out to make it easier to shop on the app. Earlier this year, Instagram released Checkout, which allows people to buy products without leaving the app, and dedicated shopping tags for creators.
The brands partnering with Instagram say they are eager to test out the new feature. “Drops are a key part of streetwear, and we’re excited to evolve the industry together with Instagram. … Now, the ability to set reminders will allow our fans to be notified and make the process even more seamless than it already is,” said Dan Altmann, president of fashion brand Chinatown Market.
More and more brands – from fast food giants like McDonald’s and Taco Bell to artists like Taylor Swift and Kanye West – are building hype and customer loyalty by releasing limited-edition merch and exclusive pop-up shopping experiences. Promotional products professionals would do well to keep an eye on this latest evolution of e-commerce – particularly as Generation Z comes of age and exerts its influence on the marketplace.