Watch out, Pinterest, Facebook tests Collections tool

09.10.2012
Watch out, Pinterest. Facebook is testing a new feature called Collections, which is set up to enable businesses to showcase and sell their products.

Pottery Barn is one of the businesses participating in Facebook's test of a new Collections tool.

The new tool includes three actions -- want, like and collect. The Collections, which can be seen in Facebook's News Feed, are set up so users can check out the collections and share things that interest them with their friends, according to Gwendolyn Belomy, a Facebook spokeswoman.

The tool also is designed to let users click through and buy items in the collections on the retailers' Web sites.

"We've seen that businesses often use Pages to share information about their products through photo albums," said Belomy. "Yesterday, we began a small test in which a few select businesses will be able to share information about their products through a feature called Collections."

Facebook appears to be taking a page from playbook.