M.Video, a leading Russian specialized retailer, will soon make electronic products and home appliances available for purchase on Facebook and Vkontakte.ru, Russia’s leading social network.
M.Video products may already be purchased on Facebook’s Russian version, but such transactions must be completed on the M.Video site. As of next summer, users will be able to complete their orders without leaving Facebook itself. Payments will be made using credit cards, not Facebook credits. Facebook credits are still not widely used in Russia, and for this type of purchase their commission fees seem high.
Beginning in April, M.Video will have a similar shop opened on Vkontakte.ru.
Social commerce is making a strong debut in Russia. Odnoklassniki, another leading social network, has its own commercial platform named “Cool discounts,” on which Groupon Russia has recently made its offers available.
Emegamall, a SaaS service recently acquired by a leading Russian software publisher, allows e-merchants to place their products on social networks, classifieds sites, auction sites and blogs.
