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Online Shopping News Roundup

Online Shopping News Roundup

The big news this past week was the launch of Jet.com, which we wrote about a few days back. However, there has been quite a bit of interesting news going on in the world of online shopping lately, so we thought we would round it all up and feed it to you in this nice little easily digestible package. We have stories about the increasingly intimate dance online shopping has been doing with social media, new security measures that will leave you smiling, and the latest passion project from reality tv’s royal family. Keep reading if you want to be informed on what cool things have been happening in online shopping lately and even have a look into what the future holds.


Facebook to Get Direct Shopping Integration


It is highly likely that soon, you will not need to leave the comfort of Facebook to satisfy your cravings for online shopping. The social media giant is currently in testing phases of implementing some highly integrated online shopping functions into the Facebook features you know and love. They are looking into allowing online shopping sites to provide selections of products directly on their Facebook page so that in the future, someone might sell you pants right on the newsfeed.


Facebook is also testing a service (codenamed Moneypenny) for its messenger app, which will allow users to ask real people to help them research and buy products. The details and features of this service are not known; but one thing that is clear, is that Facebook is very very interested in being a big part of the online shopping experience.


MasterCard to Test Facial Scans


MasterCard is tinkering with a new way of preventing fraud, and it involves your face and your phone’s camera. They are set to launch a pilot program which will have card holders taking a sort of secure identity verification selfie to prove that they are the rightful card holder. It is being introduced as an antidote to passwords, which are vulnerable to being forgotten or stolen.


MasterCard is serious about this. They have partnered with all major smartphone makers, and are finalizing deals with banks. Users will use the MasterCard phone app when paying for an item online. The app will perform a facial recognition scan which registers when the user blinks. The blinking action prevents fraudsters from simply using a picture of their victim when using their credit card.


MasterCard is also experimenting with voice recognition as well. With the way things are going, it seems that one day soon, everyone who buys something online will feel as though they are in a Mission Impossible movie.


Kendal Jenner & Kylie Kardashian Launch Clothing Site


In a move that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, Kendal Jenner and Kylie Kardashian have launched their own fashion retail website. No strangers to the world of fashion, the sisters have collaborated with many clothing companies in the past and now their names are front and centre on their own site.


The concept of this site is a bit different from others you may be used to. Instead of offering a wide selection of items for shoppers to choose from, the site will offer just two items at a time, one pick from Kylie, and another from Kendall. Each week, the selection will flip, and two new items will be available. Only two of each item will be available per person.


Head over to kendall-kylie.com to see what is in this week’s selection.