When It Comes to Shopping, Pinterest Edges Facebook

LOS ANGELES -- Pinterest has a leg up on Facebook regarding shopping engagement, according to the latest study in the Bizrate Insights Image Sharing and Shopping Series.

The study found that 69 percent of online consumers who visited Pinterest found an item they've purchased, or want to purchase, compared to just 40 percent of consumers visiting Facebook. It contains results from 7,431 online buyers who were surveyed from Aug. 9 to Aug. 17.

"While Facebook is far larger than Pinterest in terms of audience size -- 63 percent of online consumers have a Facebook account, while only 15 percent have a Pinterest account -- our study, based on a survey of verified online buyers, finds that Pinterest provides a better experience for shopping discovery, purchase consideration, and deeper engagement with retailer content," said Hayley Silver, vice president of Bizrate Insights.

"But this is not to say that all social attention should be diverted to Pinterest. Facebook and Pinterest each serve their online shopping communities with their preferred shopping activities, which vary by platform," he continued. "For example, Facebook outpaces Pinterest in promotions (30 percent participate on Facebook vs. 9 percent on Pinterest), while Pinterest is stronger in sharing (55 percent 'repin' an item on Pinterest vs. 37 percent post an item on Facebook)."

Bizrate Insights collects and analyzes more than 16 million surveys from approximately 6,300 international retailers annually.