The social network is teaming up with startups, vendors, and even giant Internet rivals to turn Facebook pages into online shopping outlets fueled by recommendations from friends who "like" to buy.

      Facebook is ramping up efforts to entice companies such as Delta Air Lines (DAL) and J.C. Penney (JCP) to sell wares on its pages and convert more of its 500 million users into online shoppers.

      Managers at the Palo Alto (Calif.)-based social network have met in the past month with more than 20 companies, said David Fisch, who runs a newly formed commerce partnerships group at Facebook. The aim is to help retailers set up shop on its pages and build tools that let Web users interact while buying.

      Facebook is adding e-commerce features to attract users, keep them logged-on longer, and generate higher advertising sales. The effort may turn the company into an online shopping alternative to retailers such as eBay (EBAY), says Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at Forrester Research (FORR). "It's not natural to go to Facebook to shop—yet," says Mulpuru, whose firm is based in Cambridge, Mass. "But it's not a long step."

      Fisch's team was set up in November in a division that includes groups focused on gaming and media. "Ultimately, the onus is on my team to prove we can create a lot of value for users," Fisch says. "We hope to see a lot of innovation."

Shopping Tips From Facebook Friends

      The group is meeting with retailers to help Facebook develop software that lets users solicit advice and product reviews from Facebook friends in real time, even while they're shopping on other sites. Facebook is also building analytic tools to let retailers learn more about who's drawn to certain products, Fisch says.

      Facebook now lets users buy in-game products, such as weapons and additional lives, using its Facebook Credits virtual currency that is purchased with real dollars. It has no plans to let consumers use Credits to buy physical products, Fisch says.

      Fisch is getting assistance in his e-commerce drive from Alvenda, a Minneapolis-based start-up whose technology helps companies—including shopping site HauteLook and air-travel provider Delta—sell products from Facebook pages. HauteLook opened its Facebook store in November after  Delta's opened in August. J.C. Penney this month added features to its Facebook page that let more than 1.38 million fans interact while they buy clothes and other products from the Plano (Tex.)-based retailer.

Turning Pages Into Storefronts

      Another startup that helps retailers peddle wares via Facebook is San Francisco-based Payvment, which makes software that can turn Facebook pages into storefronts that accept a credit card or eBay's PayPal online payment service. Payvment has been starting 250 new Facebook retailers daily; that's up 42 percent since August, according to Payvment Chief Executive Officer Christian Taylor. Its stable of more than 40,000 retailers offers more than 750,000 items, including all-natural cosmetics, handmade jewelry, and T-shirts.

Source from Business Week

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