Picture sharing social media service, Instagram, has just added the ability to shop online from within its app for British consumers to access.

TechWorld reports that this freshly integrated feature will be a boon for brands looking to advertise their products through Instagram, as it makes it easier for images which feature commercially available items to be tagged and linked to them.

As well as providing Instagram users in the UK with more information about products that appear in posts, it will also serve up details on pricing, so that they know how much they will have to pay to get the latest fashion accessory or gadget.

So far, this capability was only available in the US, but as the company seeks to increase its profits in other parts of the world, its wider roll-out was inevitable.

A number of retailers have already taken advantage of this system in its early form, with some reporting a significant spike in sales and site visits. So it is not just good for Instagram itself, but also for outlets that want to monetise their social media presence more effectively.

Around 200 million people have accounts on Instagram, with a significant proportion of the UK population acolytes of its service. When the updated app with e-commerce features hits handsets this week, it will be interesting to see what impact it has on consumer habits.

Facebook, which owns Instagram, has already made significant strides to offer shopping services to users, both with direct ads and its marketplace. Twitter has had less success with its own e-commerce offerings, but the picture-focused nature of Instagram should help it to encompass product listings more effectively, while generating a lot of revenue for the company that is in charge.