We have in the past stated that infusing social into commerce makes more sense than vice-versa. Recently, Ethan Beard, director of the Facebook Developer Network, suggested that Facebook storefronts are a “pretty small piece” of the “burgeoning area of social commerce.” Also, many retailers have said that Facebook storefronts are negligible, according to Sucharita Mulpuru of Forrester Research, Inc. (source).

At the risk of reiterating what we have already said, the biggest problem with selling on Facebook is that it is frowned upon by consumers. Consumers are already bombarded by multiple marketing messages almost everywhere in the day; Facebook serves as the escapist online platform for people to interact and socialize with their friends. Any overt selling is bound to put people off. Next, even if consumers are somewhat interested in the offering or brand, it is unlikely that a miniature storefront within the confines of Facebook and sporting all the technical limitations brought about by Facebook’s development environment can create a user-friendly shopping environment that maximizes buying satisfaction. Facebook is simply not built for shopping, especially with the major distraction called the top navigation bar.

At Zuupy, we do not see merit in the idea of creating an all-in-one brand HQ within Facebook that takes care of everything from promotions to point-of-sale transactions. There clearly is value in using Facebook for limited purposes, such as customer care and direct marketing, but the larger value still lies in manipulating Facebook for use on third-party websites and online stores. In fact, this is also what Facebook wants, at least according to Ethan Beard.

As social commerce is in its infancy, it remains to be seen if selling on Facebook can be a sustainable distribution point for retailers. Our core philosophy remains the same since our inception: the trend is social commerce, not commercial social.