Pinterest is Rolling out a New Product Recommendation Tool called ‘Shopping Spotlights’

Pinterest is rolling out a new product recommendation tool called Shopping Spotlights, which will showcase selections of Pin products as chosen by fashion influencers and publishers.

As explained by Pinterest:

“Today, we’re excited to introduce an entirely new feature called ‘Shopping Spotlights’ which brings the expert recommendations of influential fashion and home tastemakers, as well as publishers, directly to you. In addition to editors’ picks, you’ll be able to easily shop curated ideas based on current Pinterest trends. With the feel of a personal stylist, and the look of an editorial magazine, shopping the latest trends as well as product picks of your favorite influencers and magazines has never been easier.”

As you can see from the screenshots, Shopping Spotlights will be accessible via a feed of highlighted panels at the top of your ‘Search’ tab. The listings will be curated by guest experts and fashion leaders, including journalist and author Elaine Welteroth (above), fashion blogger Blair Eadie and interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel.

Tap through on any Spotlight and you’ll be able to view themed collections, with products that could help to keep you up on the latest trends and styles – or in this case, items from brands that are contributing to causes like the COVID-19 relief effort.

In addition to this, Pinterest will also be looking to offer Spotlight listings from brand partners.

At launch, Pinterest is working with publishers Refinery29, Domino, Who What Wear, InStyle, Nylon, and Harper’s Bazaar, but it may also, eventually, become another ad option to consider, with Sponsored Spotlights that can be targeted based on user activity.

With more people turning to Pinterest during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the platform has been exploring additional ways to improve product discovery and to customize its listings with a focus on facilitating purchase behavior.

In some ways, Pinterest has been working to make itself the mall replacement – given that people can’t currently shop in their regular centers, Pinterest has been looking to provide alternate product showcase options to help retailers and consumers connect.

Spotlights are another tool along that line, and they could help provide more inspiration to the platform’s purchase-ready audience – and could, eventually, become another brand outreach consideration.

Shopping Spotlights are rolling out from today on Android and Web and iOS.