Pinterest makes it easier to buy with ‘Shop the Look’

Buying merchandise on Pinterest just got even easier.



On Wednesday, Feb. 8, the social media site rolled out a new service called “Shop the Look.” An extension of the company’s Buyable Pins program which enables “pinners” to buy a specific item directly on Pinterest, Shop the Look users can “click on and even buy products they find inside fashion and home decor Pins,” Tim Kendall, Pinterest’s president, explained in the company’s business blog.



The new service enables pinners to check out directly on the site, or they can order from the retailer.



Brands currently participating include CB2, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Target and Wayfair, among other companies, Kendall said.



The new service was introduced with two other programs. The first, Pinterest Lens, is an image-based search engine. As users point their mobile cameras at objects they see out in the real world, Lens serves up similar styles or related information on their mobile device’s screen.



“Lens works best for finding home decor ideas, things to wear and food to eat,” Kendall reported. “As more and more people use it, results will get even better, and the range of objects Lens recognizes will get increas-ingly wider.”



The company also introduced “Instant Ideas,” a program that enables pinners to discover ideas inspired by the Pins they see in their home feeds, the blog said.



“We’re really looking forward to seeing what ideas people discover with these new visual features, and using what we learn to make the technolo-gy even better — both for Pinners and businesses,” Kendall added.