A look at Snapchat’s new store and app merchandising

Since the mobile app boom, more and more brands have emerged to try and get a foothold in this popular new market. Merchandising has become a very lucrative opportunity for digital brands that have developed a strong reputation and a wide consumer base. Angry Birds, for example, found success in expanding its brand into the film and merchandising industries. It was recently announced that Snapchat is also branching out into the merchandising business and the internet is buzzing with talk.

On Feb 2 ^nd , Snapchat released its first official merchandise store. Here users can currently find a selection of physical products such as hats, t-shirts and sweaters. The store was first noticed by a Snapchat user who saw it in the discover section of the Snapchat app. The news spread like wildfire and millions of avid users flocked to the store. The news of merchandise isn’t the only thing that has users excited. The unique e-commerce strategy that Snapchat is using has created even more excitement – if you’re considering an app business development opportunity or want to launch an app business, this should provide ample inspiration and food for thought when it comes to monetization options.

Instead of setting up an external website, Snapchat has cleverly housed its online store within the app itself to maximise conversion and drive traffic. The store interface utilises the same familiar structure as the sponsored story content in order to create a more interactive and exciting shopping experience.

Even the way users access the store is unique. In order to browse the products, Snapchat users will need to visit the desktop site and scan the code that will take them to the store.

This unique approach shows how important it is for companies to innovate if they hope to expand their brand into new markets. With 173 million active daily users, Snapchat definitely has the following to justify its expansion into the world of merchandising. With such a strong, globally recognised brand, the social company is now becoming more than just a social media platform.

The creative e-commerce strategy that Snapchat has developed shows the need for innovation regardless of market position – something any entrepreneur considering an app business opportunity should find inspiring. The company could have easily put up an external online store but instead used the strength of its app to create a more immersive experience.

This poses an important lesson for any development companies looking to expand their business. It’s important to cultivate a following before looking into creative e-commerce platforms that will increase your brand recognition while creating new revenue channels.