Whenever TopShelf puts something up for sale on Instagram, customers who want to buy it simply need to comment “sold” together with their email address.

While retail store design remains a key focus for retailers, some innovative developments are emerging in the market, particularly in social media commerce. A prime example is TopShelf Style, a San Francisco-based clothing retailer that has embraced social selling through platforms like Instagram. TopShelf utilises Soldsie, a tool that transforms Instagram accounts into social storefronts, driving traffic, engagement, and sales.

Since Instagram doesn’t allow embedded links, offering products directly to followers has been challenging. However, Soldsie solves this by enabling comment-based selling. When TopShelf posts an item for sale, customers can simply comment "sold" along with their email address. Soldsie then generates an invoice and sends it to the shopper, streamlining the purchase process.

While Instagram leads the way in social commerce, other networks are also making attempts. In 2015, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest introduced "buy buttons," although they didn’t gain widespread adoption. Despite this, we anticipate that social networks will continue investing in social commerce.

As users increasingly discover and discuss products via social media, retailers have more reason to invest in these platforms for customer engagement and sales growth.

If you're exploring retail formats, online digital strategies, or social media solutions, why not reach out and discuss your needs with us? We're here to help.