"If you want to shop on Instagram, it's a lot of work," said Vishal Shah, product management director at Instagram. But the new channel aims to make it easier for users to shop when they're in the mood, he said. Instagram doesn't charge businesses for the shopping tools it provides, but it's exploring sponsored formats, according to an Instagram spokesperson. Instagram is also rumored to have plans to launch a standalone e-commerce app, but the company declined to comment. Instagram has also tested another independent messaging app called Direct, and earlier this year, it launched the IGTV app for longer-form video.

Source: CNN September 17, 2018 19:30 UTC