Pinterest is doubling down on its vision of making shopping a visual-first experience. At its annual global advertiser summit, Pinterest Presents™, the platform previewed a series of new ad solutions designed to help brands reach consumers at the exact moment of inspiration, bridging the gap between discovery and purchase.
A key announcement was the rollout of Pinterest top of search ads, now in beta across all monetized markets. These ads are positioned within the top 10 slots of search results and related pins—where 45% of clicks typically occur. With 96% of Pinterest searches being unbranded, the format gives advertisers a unique opportunity to capture high-intent shoppers who are still undecided on which brand to choose. Early tests are promising: Wayfair reported a 237% increase in click-through rates compared to their usual campaigns, while Pinterest’s own testing shows a 29% higher average CTR for this format.
The platform is also strengthening its retail offering with local inventory ads. This format allows brands to surface real-time pricing and availability for in-stock items within a shopper’s local radius. Canadian Tire Company, the first retailer in Canada to test the solution, reported a 48% increase in efficiency and a 16.5% higher store visit rate compared to standard campaigns.
Beyond ad formats, Pinterest is introducing Pinterest media network connect, a self-service tool that enables retailers and media networks to securely integrate first-party data, such as audiences and product catalogues, directly into Pinterest ads manager. This feature allows brands to run and manage campaigns with greater control, while benefiting from performance tools like Pinterest performance+. Partnerships with Kroger Precision Marketing and Instacart Ads in the US mark the first phase of this expansion.
Christine Foster, senior vice president at Kroger Precision Marketing, highlighted the value of this development: “This new capability empowers advertisers with faster decision-making and control, while using purchase-based audiences direct from the retailer.”
With Gen Z already embracing Pinterest as their go-to platform for shopping inspiration—39% say they prefer to start their searches there—the company’s bet on visual-first advertising could redefine how brands engage with the next generation of digital consumers.
