Back in May of 2020, Facebook took the step of launching Facebook Shops.
The idea of this is to create a marketplace for ecommerce sellers - in particular, those Small to Mid-size Enterprises who want to sell products direct from Facebook.
Intended as a service to rival Google's Shopping Actions, the service is expected to be rolled out to a wider audience throughout 2020.
With the goal being to provide online merchants with a lot of flexibility, Facebook Shops can be created on your existing Facebook or Instagram account.
For companies in certain countries, an integrated payment will allow users to manage everything from the platform. Facebook will only take a commission on payments carried out in-platform using their 'check out' function.
At checkout, users of Facebook Shops can encourage buyers to visit their online store, and customer service can be provided in real-time using the group’s messaging tools.
As Facebook Shops gets rolled out on a larger scale, other features are also going to be implemented:
In order to make use of Facebook Shops, you need to register as a merchant on Commerce Manager.
This lets you launch and manage your online shop, as well as collect money from sales.
Several pieces of information are used when you first register as a Commerce Manager:
You must also specify the countries in which you operate, the product category that best represents your business, and the shipping and return options you offer your customers.
Once this information is provided, you can choose your sales channel (Facebook or Instagram) on the group, or a third-party marketplace partner and associate them with your existing business accounts. Finally, Facebook will perform a security check to ensure your professional identity.
Facebook are rolling these out to businesses that sell with Instagram Shopping, a Facebook Page shop or both, particularly in the fashion, beauty and home sectors.