Pinterest has announced a partnership with Target to co-opt its visual search Lens with Target’s proprietary app and website.

Target gets Pinteresting

The new hybrid endeavour marks the first time Pinterest has taken to integrating Lens into a retailer’s app.

Shoppers of Target will now be able to take a photo of products which can be searched against related items available for purchase in stores.

The Lens feature will first be made available through Target’s registry as the company increases their ad buy within Pinterest, in a two-prong approach to attract more customers.

In turn, Pinterest has increased their investment in visual search technology, already available to its 200 million plus users, with their last round injection of $150 million.

Visual searches are the new trend

Google has also launched their own search tool for Pinterest’s most popular categories, such as fashion and recipes.

The search app is meant to substitute a keyword search, especially as visual searches increasingly become the standard for more efficient online shopping.

The partnership has resulted in a multi-year ad buy from Target directly to Pinterest, quoted as being the retail store’s largest ever.

Are you excited to start searching via your smartphone camera? Why or why not? Let us know your opinion in our comments below.