I can’t decide if Snap is being desperate or smart, but the company has now added merchandise to its flagship app, including a plush version of the dancing hot dog, a fire emoji Snap streak hat, a Winkface sweatshirt, and a “Bring back best friends” sweatshirt
Snapchat has been famously losing users to Instagram ever since the app introduced its own Stories feature in 2016. The company has tried various methods of luring users back, including launching their own Snap hardware and completely overhauling the app design (which many users did not like).
More recently, they’ve finally implemented “shareable stories,” wherein users can embed and link to stories outside of the app. And now, they’re placing merchandise within the app, likely in hopes of drumming up additional revenue. However, a Snap spokesperson told TechCrunch that the purpose of the store is to promote the Snapchat “community,” whatever that means, implying that the goal is not to drive income to recoup that loss. 
The current product offerings are:
- Dancing Hot Dog Plush Doll: $19.99
- Streak Hat: $29.99
- Winkface Sweatshirt: $49.99
- Dog Lens Tee: $29.99
- Bring Back Best Friends Sweatshirt: $49.99
