The Promise of Visual Search and Discovery for Retailers

Pinterest's tools take consumers from inspiration to action

Discovering products online is a much different experience than tangibly finding them in a physical store. But Pinterest has been innovating on the visual commerce front to help users engage more deeply with products on its platform and bring the digital and physical experiences together. Amy Vener, retail vertical strategy lead at Pinterest, spoke with eMarketer’s Andrew Lipsman about how the company's visual search and discovery tools are changing the way consumers shop and buy. Vener was interviewed as part of eMarketer's June report, "Mobile Retail Apps 2018: Strategies to Acquire, Engage, and Retain Users."

eMarketer:

What visual search and discovery technology has Pinterest brought to its users?

Amy Vener:

In the physical shopping world, the brain processes information a lot faster with a visual experience vs. text. We've introduced a couple of discovery tools that help the user have the opportunity to engage with the content visually: Shop the Look and Pinterest Lens.

eMarketer:

Can you walk through these tools and their applications for retail?

Interview conducted on April 25, 2018

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