Although retailers ranging from J.C. Penney to online clothing seller StyleQ have launched Facebook storefronts where consumers can make purchases on the social network, those efforts are only one piece of social commerce, says Ethan Beard, director of the Facebook Developer Network, who oversees a team that works to build partnerships with merchants and other businesses. Beard was quoted in a story on Internet Retailer. “The future of commerce is social,” he says.
David Fisch oversees a newly created group within Beard’s team that seeks to develop an e-commerce partnerships group. The group is charged with encouraging retailers and other businesses to work more closely with Facebook, Internet Retailer reports. Those integrations may include storefronts, though the social network is not encouraging the development of those. Rather, Facebook wants to encourage retailers to integrate the social network into their e-commerce sites. In doing so, Facebook aims to encourage consumers to interact with the social network while shopping and buying.