Facebook store sales continue to rise, according to internal data provided by Ecwid, creators of a popular Facebook shopping cart application.
Last week, Ecwid released sales data showing strong 2012 year-to-date sales growth at Facebook storefronts. The third quarter of 2012 saw total sales from Ecwid-powered Facebook stores grow 36% over the second quarter. Cumulative individual Facebook store orders grew as well, going up 39%.
According to Jim O’Hara, president of Ecwid, Inc.:
“ “F-Commerce could stand for ’flourishing’ commerce in the SMB market we serve. While some big name retailers have misfired at Facebook commerce, we see a different story with small businesses, which seem to be more effective at connecting personally with social audiences.”
Facebook storefront growth seems to indicate that small businesses are engaging more with social, taking it seriously as a sales venue, and reaping the benefits. Apricot Lane, a women’s boutique and Ecwid storefront, reports that 80% of its sales come from Facebook. Apricot says it owes its success to constant communication with followers. “We see Facebook traffic as real customers. They may not be in our physical store, but we still treat them as customers who shop and buy,” said co-owner Renee Dixon.
Sure, Apricot is one of the “exceptions,” and Facebook storefronts vary in success. Still, overall Facebook shopping sales are on the rise, with retailers reporting a consistent 9-to-22 percent of online revenue coming from the social network giant.
