Facebook to ditch live shopping

Facebook announced this month that it is saying goodbye to its live-shopping events.

As of October 1, 2022, users will no longer be able to host any new or scheduled live-shopping events on Facebook, which currently gives users the option to create product playlists or tag products in their Facebook Live videos. Facebook sellers will still be able to broadcast live events, however.

“As consumers’ viewing behaviors are shifting to short-form video, we are shifting our focus to Reels on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s short-form video product,” parent firm Meta explained in a statement.

Facebook first debuted livestream shopping in 2018 and finally launched in November 2020, after a few test runs and beta tests. The following May, 'Live Shopping Fridays' was introduced with brands like Anne Klein, Abercrombie & Fitch, Clinique, and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

Earlier this summer, TikTok also announced that it would abandon its video shopping project, following a test phase in the United Kingdom last year. TikTok Shopping was first announced in the summer of 2021. After a test phase initially planned for the British, European and Canadian markets, the company had planned to fully extend the service to France, Germany, Italy and Spain in the first half of 2021, with the U.S. market expected to follow suit.

Besides Facebook and TikTok, live shopping has also emerged on platforms such as Twitter, Pinterest, and most recently Ebay.

Facebook to ditch live shopping

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