Pinterest’s pop-up trends event brought social commerce into the real world

Earlier this month, Pinterest hosted its Pinterest Predicts pop-up event, a showcase in New York City combining trends, predictions, photo ops, and shoppable displays. The pop-up offered insights into what experiential social commerce can be, and how brands can offer retail experiences without needing to stock products.

With over 300 shoppable items segmented into trendy displays like “eclectic grandpa,” “kitschen,” and “western gothic,” the event aimed to educate users that Pinterest is a place to buy, another extension of Pinterest’s vision vision to make everything shoppable, said Pinterest director of experiential marketing Seán Doyle.

“Gen Z is paying attention to experience [like these in-person events],” said Pinterest director of global brand experiences Judy Lee.

Gen Z is both the fastest-growing and most engaged audience on Pinterest, creating boards, interacting, and shopping, according to Celie O’Neil-Hart, global head of content and writing at Pinterest. According to our forecast, 60.7% of US adults ages 18 to 24 will be social buyers in 2024, a higher penetration than any other age group. By focusing the event on Gen Z, Pinterest leveraged the generation’s inclination toward social commerce to introduce new ways to browse and buy in-person.

How it worked: Products were featured in thematic displays curated by Pinterest alongside QR codes, like the glass jars from the “kitschen” display, featured below. Browsers used either their camera app or the Pinterest Lens feature to open the item’s listing within the Pinterest app, where purchases could be made.

Why it worked: The event was based off of the Pinterest Predicts report, which identified key trends for 2024 based off of what users searched for on the website. Using that context, Pinterest brought those search trends to life at the event.

• Approach: The use of QR codes allowed users to shop looks without Pinterest needing to stock any items at the event. Companies with ecommerce sites or retail offerings without stores could borrow this tech-enabled showroom approach.
• Audience: The event focused mainly on Gen Z, targeting what Doyle called “the trend-savvy super-shopper,” because of the generation’s value on experiences and willingness to experiment with new ways to shop.
• Authenticity: Pinterest invited creators who fit under that trend-savvy umbrella to amplify the event on social media. Posts from creators on Instagram and TikTok allowed people who didn’t attend to experience the event.

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