Pinterest will become a giant store thanks to buy buttons

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Pinterest Buyable Pins
Soon, you'll be able to buy stuff straight from Pinterest. Oh, no.
Photo: Pinterest

If you’ve ever been browsing through the Pinterest app and saw something that made you think, “OMG WANT,” but you were away from your computer or just didn’t feel like going online to make that thing yours, you may be interested in the program the company announced today.

“Buyable Pins” will let you purchase select items directly from the app using a credit card or Apple Pay.

Pinterest announced on its official blog that the new feature will roll out “in a few weeks,” and it represents a pivot for the app from just a place where you keep track of stuff you like to a massive storefront.

Buyable stuff will appear in the app with blue price tags, and you’ll also be able to choose between item styles and colors. Available brands will include Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom.

This new feature is certainly a response to Pinterest’s odd issue of how it can make money. Investors recently valued the company at $11 billion, which isn’t bad for an app that is simply a means to bookmark images. Buyable Pins could be a clever way for the company to profit from deals with high-profile brands without sacrificing its core functionality.

The new feature will be available for iOS devices first, with OS X and Android compatibility coming in “future releases.”

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