Businesses can choose the products they want to feature on their Facebook Shop and customise the look and feel of their shop with a cover image and accent colours that showcase the brand. AFP
US-based social media company Facebook Inc on Monday announced that it is launching Facebook Shops in Cambodia to make it easy for businesses to set up a single online store.
Customers will be able to access the stores on both Facebook and Instagram, it said in a press release.
Facebook Shops is free and simple to use, it said. Businesses can choose the products they want to feature and customise the look and feel of their shop with a cover image and accent colours that showcase the brand.
“Across the globe, many small businesses are struggling. With stores closing more are looking to take their business online.
“Facebook Shops aims to make shopping seamless and empower anyone from a small business owner to a global brand to use Facebook apps to connect with customers.
“Now, people in Cambodia can find Facebook Shops on a business’ Facebook Page or Instagram profile, or discover them through stories or ads.
“From there, they can browse the full collection, save products they’re interested in and place an order on the business’ website,” said Facebook.
It highlighted that most people in Cambodia use live video on Facebook to showcase products, from shoe stores announcing new sneakers to beauty influencers trying on different lipsticks.
“Now, it’s easier to shop for products in real-time and sellers, brands and creators will soon be able to tag products from their Facebook Shop or catalogue before going live and those products will be shown at the bottom of the video so people can easily tap to learn more and purchase,” according to the release.
The Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) recently reported that mobile internet usage has increased with 16.12 million subscribers using their mobile phones to access online content last year, an increase of 18.47 per cent.
The TRC report also noted that fixed-mobile phone users declined by 35 per cent to 57,438 while fixed-broadband internet subscribers grew to 224,104, a 46 per cent increase.
Ley Sopheap, president of the Cambodian E-commerce Federation and also the president of the Cambodian Investment Federation said on Tuesday that local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) should focus on e-commerce while the government is promoting a business registration system on an information technology platform.
“This is a great start-up, driving people to start small businesses online and getting people to use e-commerce.
“I would like to encourage young people to do digital business and I will soon start a seminar to disseminate e-commerce law, consumer protection law and business registration through information technology,” he said.
Facebook said it is starting to test the businesses and will roll it out more broadly in the coming months.
“We’re also testing ways to make it easier to earn rewards with businesses you love by enabling you to connect to your loyalty programmes, like the points programme at your local cafe, to your Facebook account,” it said.
Facebook says it hopes these tools can relieve some of the pressure small businesses in Cambodia are facing right now and help businesses of all sizes prepare for the future.
