Pinterest shopping just got a major new upgrade!
Thanks to the launch of the new Shop tab — a direct response from Pinterest to help during the COVID-19 crisis — users now have a dedicated space to browse and shop in-stock product Pins.
This means retailers and e-commerce brands can seriously boost their sales on Pinterest!
We’re covering how the new feature works, what it means for retailers, and how you can start using the Shop tab to your sales advantage:
New Pinterest Shop Tab Showcases In-stock Products & Drives More Sales to Your Website
With the rising demand for shopping on the app, Pinterest has introduced a Shop tab — a dedicated tab where users can search and browse in-stock inventory from retailers!
Before this new feature, all shoppable Pins were thrown into the mix of things in search results and boards, making it hard to find shoppable product Pins.
But now, in-stock items can be found under a new, dedicated Shop tab.
This makes it much easier for users to find shoppable inspiration on Pinterest, and for retailers to drive traffic and sales for their site!
For example, when users search “summer outfits” or “at home workspace” the Shop tab will show in-stock items that relate to those keyword searches.
Pulling info from Pinterest’s existing Product Pin feature, the new Shop tab links a Pin directly to the checkout page on an e-commerce website — streamlining the route to purchase
According to TechCrunch, the number of Shoppable Product Pins has more than doubled in the last year, with traffic to retailer sites increasing by 230%.
The Shop tab is an awesome addition for both retailers and everyday users on Pinterest.
Pinterest Newsroom
Retailers gain valuable extra exposure for their Product Pins, while users can go from inspiration to purchase in just a few simple steps.
The platform reaches 83% of all women 25-54 in the US — which also happens to be the demographic responsible for 80% of household buying decisions.
And what’s more, we know that people actively use Pinterest as a platform to inform their purchasing decisions.
According to Pinterest, 85% of women on the platform use it to plan small or big life moments, compared with Facebook 53%, and Instagram 44%.
So with the right Pinterest marketing strategy, you’ll be targeting people who have both spending power and intent to purchase.
If you’re a retailer or e-commerce brand on Pinterest and you’re not incorporating Product Pins in your strategy, now is a great time to get started! Discover our Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business now!
Where You Can Find (and Use!) the New Pinterest Shop Tab:
As part of the Shop tab roll out, Pinterest has made extensive improvements to the shopping experience across the entire platform.
From shopping directly from Boards and Pins, to highlighting shoppable posts in trend-related searches, Pinterest is making it easier for users to shop, and for retailers to make sales.
#1: Shop Tab on a Pinterest Board
When a user visits a home decor or fashion Pinterest board, the new Shop tab will show products from or inspired by the Pins they’ve saved to a board. Like a virtual shopping wishlist, users will see in-stock products based on what they’ve been saving recently.
#2: Shop Tab in Search Results
As part of the rollout, Pinterest will also display a new Shop tab on search results, making it easy to shop in-stock products from a range of retailers when searching for terms like “spring outfits,” “office decor,” or “kitchen remodel.”
Pinterest has also added price and brand filters to the experience to make purchasing even easier!
#3: Shop from Pins
It’s now easier to shop products right from a Product Pin — just click “shop similar” to see related in-stock products from the related retailers!
Pinterest Newsroom
#4: Shop Tab in Style Guides
Pinterest has long been curating style and trend guides based on a search term — for example, when searching for home-related terms like “living room ideas,” browsable style guides will appear in popular styles like mid-century, contemporary, and rustic.
According to Pinterest, these visual recommendations make it easier to explore trending styles even if you don’t have the words to describe what you’re looking for. And now, there’s a Shop tab integrated to help you recreate the look.
“It’s like having an interior designer right in search,” Pinterest says.
NOTE: This update is currently only for “home decor” themed searches. 
#5: Shop Tab in Brand Profile Pages
Thanks to the launch of Pinterest’s new Verified Merchant Program, approved retailers can have a dedicated Shop tab on their profile — making it a cinch for users to switch between inspirational browsing to purchasing on your profile!
This new addition could be one of the most powerful assets for brands looking to boost their sales through Pinterest — here’s everything you need to know about the program and how to be accepted. 
Verified Merchant Program: Get a Shop Tab on Your Profile and Make More Sales
Similar to the blue tick on Instagram, Pinterest users will now start to see a blue checkmark on verified merchant accounts.
Displayed next to the account name, the blue tick represents businesses that are in Pinterest’s new Verified Merchant Program.
This program aims to help businesses increase their sales and help users discover and shop from Pinterest-vetted brands. Companies like Quay Australia, Ruggable, and Coyuchi are just a few of the brands already on board.
Verified Merchants also have the new Shop tab on their profile. This new tab allows shoppers to click in and discover all of your Product Pins, making it really easy to shop your Pinterest profile.
Any merchant can apply, but to be eligible you must meet Pinterest’s community guidelines and have a digital footprint online — not just on Pinterest! They’re looking for businesses with high-quality products, customer service, and websites.
And while you don’t need to be a Verified Merchant to have your Product Pins appear in the Shop tab on the search results pages or Pinterest Boards, it does come with some added benefits:
- Conversion Insights: Verified Merchants gain early access to organic and paid conversion insights so you can measure Pinterest’s impact on your site visits, checkouts, and sales.
- Catalogs Updates: Pinterest uses Catalogs to inform product information on Pins, like price and stock levels. With the new Verified Merchants Program, Pinterest has made improvements on how they receive, update, and share information on products in your Catalog, including new metrics, near real-time feed updates.
- Dynamic Retargeting: Pinterest is adding more ad optimization features so brands can reach Pinners who have previously engaged with their brand online or who have unpurchased items in their cart by retargeting exact or similar products they search and save on Pinterest!
If you’re interested in becoming a Verified Merchant on Pinterest, you can apply here.
Pinterest is making their shopping experience streamlined — both for their loyal users and the thousands of brands and retailers on Pinterest.
With the promise of more improvements to come, now’s the time to invest in your Pinterest strategy and start optimizing your product Pins and Boards!
Don’t forget! You can plan, schedule and automatically publish to Pinterest with Later — for free!
