Dive Brief:

• Poshmark on Wednesday is rolling out Posh Stories, a feature that allows users to create and share short, shoppable videos and photos for their item listings, the company announced in a press release emailed to Retail Dive. The new feature will be available to all members in the U.S. and Canada over the next few weeks, and the company will introduce more capabilities for it in the coming months.

• Users can see Posh Stories at the top of their feed, but the content will disappear after 48 hours. With the feature, users can find brands, browse closets and connect with other users, according to the company statement.

• Posh Stories can be used for live 15-second videos and photos, or with uploaded images, and sellers can add their own captions and tags to content, linking to other users, listings and brands if they want, per Poshmark's statement.

Dive Insight:

The importance of brands being able to connect to consumers digitally has become more apparent as the coronavirus pandemic pushes retailers to engage with shoppers in new and creative ways through social media, mobile features and other technology like virtual appointments. 

Poshmark stated that its new Posh Stories feature is based on that type of connection by focusing on a "deeper layer of engagement between sellers and shoppers" that will enable users to provide better context around the products they are selling when it comes to fit and style. 

"Community building and human connection are more important than ever, and with Posh Stories, we've created a new way for our community to come together and continue to thrive," Manish Chandra, founder and CEO of Poshmark, said in a statement.

The introduction of the feature comes after the company's March report found that 58% of consumers were okay with buying goods via a brand's social media page instead of the website, and 75% said they would buy something directly from a person online. Another survey from Bizrate Insights last summer found that 34% of adults have made purchases via social media platform. 

Poshmark isn't the only platform seeking to harness the power of video and photography for commerce. In December, a report from social marketing firm Socialbakers found a 70% spike in third-quarter advertising spending on Instagram Stories. 

Poshmark currently has eight million sellers and a community of 60 million users, according to the company.