John Lewis launches new Facebook e-commerce platform

Department store chain John Lewis has launched a new Facebook e-commerce platform in time for Christmas.

The John Lewis Perfect Gift application allows Facebook users to search for gifts from the John Lewis collection based on a range of criteria including recipient, price and gift type. Shoppers are then presented with a list of relevant products and when they click on their chosen item they are taken to the product on the main John Lewis website to complete the transaction.

The Perfect Gift is powered by FusePump’s product data feeds which take the relevant product information from the John Lewis website and displays it within the application. FusePump said the application requires minimum input from John Lewis, as any changes to its online catalogue are updated automatically in the Perfect Gift.

In addition, the data feeds can be used by a variety of social media platforms, enabling John Lewis to take advantage of the ‘like’ and share functionality of Facebook to boost user numbers and the chance of the application going viral.

"The John Lewis Perfect Gift shows the potential of product data feeds for social media e-commerce applications," said Lee Brignell-Cash, managing director, FusePump. "A standard e-commerce site in Facebook won’t generate the necessary interest to really take advantage of what the platform has to offer, but if a Facebook application is innovative and easy to use, it will reach a much wider audience."

Source : The Retail Bulletin
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