By In case you weren't already spending too much time on Instagram, those screen time numbers are about to get even more humiliating! The app announced today it's launching a new account called @shop, where it will curate its own product recommendations.
@shop will feature fashion, beauty, and home brands, all chosen by an editorial team at the Instagram offices. According to Business of Fashion, @shop's content is meant to serve women in their 20s and 30s, and for now, the account will spotlight one brand a day while also telling the story behind each business.
So far, the account features a wide variety of businesses, from well-known makeup brand Glossier to the popular Los Angeles nail salon chain Olive & June to the smaller bag company Barrineau. Each post gives users a bit of insight into the people behind the brand, including quotes from the owners and background on how they got started.
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But really, it all comes down to the app's recent foray into online shopping. Back in March, Instagram introduced its new in-app Checkout feature, which allows users to purchase items from a handful of brands without leaving the feed.
BoF reports that Eva Chen, the head of fashion partnerships at Instagram, is spearheading the @shop app; she also announced the Checkout feature on her Instagram Stories when it first released. Before working at Instagram, Chen was a longtime Condé Nast employee and the editor-in-chief of the now-folded shopping magazine Lucky. Chen seems to be recreating some of the magazine's magic with this new account, as she's tapped Leigh Belz Ray, the former executive director of branded content at Condé Nast and the former executive editor at Lucky, to lead it. Instagram's Community Lab team, which looks into trends on the platform, will also contribute to @shop.
Chen told Business of Fashion, "I think most of us who love to shop like hearing about the background of a product because it makes you appreciate it more. Fundamentally on Instagram, whether you are a person or you’re a brand or you’re a publisher, people want to hear human stories."
Madison is a senior writer/editor at ELLE.com, covering news, politics, and culture. When she's not on the internet, you can most likely find her taking a nap or eating banana bread.
