Facebook launches new catalogue style advertising service

Facebook is soon to launch an expansion of its advertising services, introducing a catalogue-esque digital product.

Dubbed ‘Lifestyle Units’, the service is designed to revive the catalogue in mobile friendly format for retailers looking to sell to social media users.

A former staple of retail, the number of printed catalogues produced has plummeted in recent years with brands moving to digital services. According to the Data and Marketing Association 10 million less catalogues are sent every year in the U.S. when compared to 2007. A Xerox survey further outlined that almost half of us discard print catalogues shortly after receiving them.

Now optimised for tablets and mobiles, Facebook’s attempt to revive the format for the digital age will enable customers to purchase directly while browsing.

The process to get to the catalogue still relies on the user clicking through via an advertisement placed in the user’s newsfeed. Once clicked, the viewer will be able to scroll ‘pages’ and hit purchase, ultimately dropping the item in the consumer’s basket on the brand’s online store.

Read more on the development over on Business Insider.