In today's video, I will go over Pinterest's (PINS 1.00%) last earnings report to get us ready for the second quarter, talk about the new features Pinterest has integrated, and discuss one specific feature it should add to make it one of the biggest social commerce players in the industry. You can find the full video below.
Q1 recap
The company reported revenue of $485 million for the quarter, which was up 78% compared with a year prior. Global monthly active users grew 30% year over year to 478 million and GAAP net loss was $22 million for Q1. Adjusted EBITDA was $84 million for Q1.
But after Pinterest reported its Q1 earnings report, the stock crashed 11% the next day because the company guided for flat monthly active user growth in the U.S. and growth in the mid-teens internationally. But revenue is expected to grow 105% year over year. With Q2 earnings only two weeks out, maybe now is the time to take a closer look at Pinterest if you're interested in the company.
Social commerce
Marriott is preparing for the return of travel with a new Pinterest partnership. The companies worked together to create out-of-home digital billboards highlighting Pinterest's travel data in two Soho storefronts, as well as a four-question in-app quiz that guides would-be travelers to their dream trip. This to me shows Pinterest's ability to form partnerships with quality brands from different industries and create good custom ads.
Pinterest also rolled out new shopping and augmented reality (AR) features:
- Shopping list: This new shopping feature will allow pinners to easily access all the product pins that they have saved on Pinterest in one place and find key information such as price, reviews, and delivery info in an even grid to compare products and make purchase decisions.
- Livestreams: Just like Alibaba's Taobao, Pinterest tested its new feature with 21 creators that focused on a variety of topics, including food, design, cooking, style, and more. While streaming, viewers can shop some of the products used by the creator. This is another great step by the company toward being a one-stop shop in the social commerce world.
- AR: When pinners see something that inspires them in the real world, they can take a picture using the Pinterest camera and run a visual search for similar in-stock home decor and fashion products. Previously, the company added a feature where pinners can try on different lipstick shades for their skin tone, save for later shopping, or buy through the retailer's site.
Payments
Right now Pinterest redirects you to the product's website to you complete your order. But what if it added a payment option on the platform directly? Say Shopify's (SHOP 3.24%) Shop Pay, since its partnership with Shopify is ever-expanding. Having a "buy now" button on the Pinterest website could be a game changer for the company. Pinterest could take a cut of every purchase made on its platform and finally directly monetize its users that way, instead of only via advertising.
More in the video below.
*Stock prices used were the closing prices of July 12, 2021. The video was published on July 13, 2021.
