Stores promote products based on real-time Pinterest activity

Nordstrom has introduced a section in its brick and mortar outlets that includes some of the most pinned products on its Pinterest page that week.

Social media activity is considered to be a benefit for brands, but it’s difficult to see the real difference it makes for offline stores. While Brazil’s C&A store has integrated Facebook into its clothes racks by showing the number of real-time likes for each item, Nordstrom has now introduced a section in its brick and mortar outlets that includes some of the most pinned products on its Pinterest page that week.

Initially installed in 13 of the US brand’s stores, the scheme simply updates items in store with a small Pinterest logo to let shoppers know that the product is receiving attention on the company’s profile on the social sharing site. The program takes into account the top items on a regional basis, meaning that the products being promoted in one store might not be the same as another store, reflecting local preferences. Considering the resources Nordstrom pours into its Pinterest account – it currently has nearly 4.5 million followers – its most pinned items reflect the opinions of a fair share of shoppers and are a good bellwether for trends.

The initiative is a simple and inexpensive way to engage customers in offline stores and boost revenue by directing them to the items that people like themselves are interested in. Are there other ways to bring social media activity into brick and mortar stores?

Spotted by: Judy McRae