Facebook VP, marketing services at Facebook Carolyn Everson urges retailers to act as people, calling retail the most social vertical category.

Facebook VP, marketing services, Carolyn Everson (pictured), addressed retailers at Facebook’s first UK event dedicated to the retail vertical today, urging brands to think as people because retail is the most social vertical category.

Speaking at the event she said, “Shopping is the most inherently social category; retail and shopping and how people think about that category has been the most social since it started so it’s an exciting opportunity.”

Everson used retail site Fab.com as an example of a retailer that has reorganised the design of its site to replicate a shopping experience, saying it is, “done through the eyes as if you are in a mall or shopping environment and you have your friends with you”.

Everson also defended Facebook’s mobile proposition, which has recently come under scrutiny from the wider industry.

She said Facebook has further plans to develop it. “Arguably it is the most valuable real estate that exists anywhere. In the US in 2011 50% of all content was discovered via peoples news feed. The mobile environment is the most social, it’s with us 24/7. So Facebook is the most social platform on most social devices, the opportunity here is extraordinary for your category [retail],” she said.

more to follow…