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Snapchat Launches In-App Merch Store

Snapchat, the popular image messaging and multimedia mobile application, is now selling branded merchandise through a platform within the app itself. The new merch forum could, potentially, have broader implications for app-based e-commerce, some analysts opine.

Housed in the Snapchat app’s Discover section, the Snap Store features limited edition products that will be available for a short time only before new items are cycled in. An early round of products included a Dancing Hot Dog Plush Doll ($19.99), Winkface Sweatshirt ($49.99), Dog Lens T-shirt ($29.99) and more.

Currently shipping only to the U.S., the Snap Store’s next line-up of products is expected to launch Thursday Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time/10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Trevor Denton, who worked on Starbucks’ app for coffee ordering, reportedly designed the Snap Store.

As Tech Crunch reported, the Snap Store isn’t expected to be a cash cow for Snapchat. Rather, it’s intended to help foster more user loyalty and act as a fun, novel way for audiences to engage with the app’s brand. That, and the free marketing that comes with fans sporting your swag doesn’t hurt, of course.

Still, the real sales driver for Snapchat could come if it can show prospective clients that in-app commerce in the Snap Store is successful.

“If Snap can use its own Snap Store to prove the potential for in-app e-commerce, it could potentially develop a real revenue stream around charging brands a cut of what they sell on Snapchat or getting them to buy ads promoting their stores,” Tech Crunch said. “Snapchat could poise itself as a way for top brands to reach a premium teen audience in a way that makes shopping a seamless part of the social experience.”

Such a business model could prove influential, inspiring a greater number of apps and brands to seek a similar revenue channel.