• You can use the Shop feature on Instagram to buy products directly featured on your Instagram feed.
  • The easiest way to use the Shop feature is with the @shop Instagram account, which curates these products and allows you to buy them without leaving the app.
  • You can also use the Shop feature anytime you see a small shopping bag icon on an Instagram post, but sometimes you will have to go to the product’s website to complete your purchase.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

If you are a frequent Instagram user, chances are you may have noticed some posts in your feed with a small shopping bag icon, tucked in the lower left-hand corner.

This is Instagram’s Shop feature, which includes products offered by hundreds of brands and retailers across the world – and it’s a wise investment from the social media platform.

Analysts told Business Insider that Instagram’s move to shopping will be so successful that it will generate $10 billion in revenue by 2021.

Using the Shop feature is easy, too. Any post with a shopping bag icon has a product or products linked to it – just tap on the product name, and you’re taken to the description page where you can save it for later, or buy it now.

Some products are available to purchase without even leaving the app, while others take you to the retailer's website to finalize the transaction.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

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How to use the Shop feature on Instagram

Some retailers partner with Instagram to provide a check-out process within the app. Most of those retailers are featured on Instagram's @shop account.

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Foto: Instagram's @shop account features many retailers that have items available for purchase on the app.sourceMeira Gebel/Business Insider

Here's how to use it.

1. Launch the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android.

2. In the search bar, type in @shop or visit the page by clicking here, or locate any other account with featured products.

3. Scroll through the @shop feed and find the item you wish to purchase, or find a specific product post from another account, designated by a small shopping bag icon at the lower left-hand corner of a post.

4. Tap the photo to reveal the item name and price. Select it.

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Foto: Tap the photo to reveal the item, and tap on the item description.sourceMeira Gebel/Business Insider

5. In the product description page, you can choose the color and size of the item.

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Foto: In the product description page, choose the color and size of the item you wish to purchase.sourceMeira Gebel/Business Insider

7. Once you've finished, tap "Proceed to Checkout."

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Foto: Select "Proceed to Checkout."sourceMeira Gebel/Business Insider

8. If you are new to Instagram's shop feature, the app will ask you to enter your contact information, shipping address, and credit card information.

9. After you've filled in the details, select "Place Order" to buy. Shipping details will then be sent to you via email.

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Foto: Tap "Place Order" to buy.sourceMeira Gebel/Business Insider

Sometimes, you will have to exit the Instagram app to complete a purchase. If this is the case, you'll tap "View on Website" in the product description page.

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Foto: In the product page, tap "View on Website" to complete the purchase.sourceMeira Gebel/Business Insider

This will take you to the brand's website where you can make changes, choose a size, and buy.

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