Apple Reportedly Interested in Acquiring 'The Fancy', a Pinterest Rival

sample image 01BusinessInsider has heard that Apple is presently in talks to acquire social sharing and commerce site The Fancy.

The objective: to secure a role for Apple in the growing e-commerce market, putting the 400 million-plus users with credit cards on file with Apple's iTunes Store to work shopping—with Apple getting a cut of the action.

The Fancy is described as a rival to the fast growing Pinterest site which is used to share photos of items found online. The Fancy describes itself:

Fancy is part store, blog, magazine and wishlist. It's a place to discover great stuff, to curate a collection of things you love, to get updates on your favorite brands and stores and to share your discoveries.

Use it to create a catalog of your favorite things around the web and around the world. When you find something you love somewhere on the web, Fancy it.

The Fancy's biggest advantage over its rival appears to be the ability for users to purchase items directly from the site. Both allow users to "pin" or "fancy" products found on the internet and allow other users to browse these items in various collections.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly met with The Fancy CEO at Allen & Co.'s Sun Valley conference. Cook even created an account on the service and "fancied" seven different items. Businessinsider speculates that Apple's interest in the company may have to do with a broader e-commerce strategy.

Popular Stories

space black mbp

Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 Was Left in a Bar

Monday October 7, 2024 3:03 pm PDT by
Alleged photos and videos of an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip continue to surface on social media, in what could be the worst product leak for Apple since an employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype at a bar in California in 2010. The latest video of what could be a next-generation MacBook Pro was shared on YouTube Shorts today by Russian channel Romancev768, just...
Alleged M4 MacBook Pro Leak Video

Alleged M4 MacBook Pro Unboxing Video Reveals These Four Upgrades

Sunday October 6, 2024 6:10 pm PDT by
An alleged unboxing video for an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The video was later linked to on social media platform X by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It is possible that this is the same MacBook Pro box shown in photos that were shared by leaker ShrimpApplePro in late September, as he claimed that this MacBook Pro...
M4 Real Feature Red

Gurman: Apple to Launch First M4 Macs and Potentially iPad Mini 7 on November 1

Sunday October 6, 2024 6:40 am PDT by
Apple will announce several new M4 Mac models around the end of October, with the company planning to launch at least some of them as soon as Friday, November 1, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple will launch a new M4 version of its low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, as well as higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models...
watchos 11 vitals

Apple Watch Users Report Vitals App Detecting Illness Before Symptoms Appear

Monday October 7, 2024 5:34 am PDT by
Apple's new Vitals app for watchOS 11 appears to be impressing some users with its ability to detect potential illness days before symptoms manifest, according to recent reports on Reddit. The Apple Watch app, which analyzes key health metrics measured during sleep over the last seven days, appears to be providing early warnings of impending sickness for at least some Apple Watch wearers...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Plans to Release iOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence on October 28

Sunday October 6, 2024 6:18 am PDT by
Apple intends to launch iOS 18.1 with the first set of much-anticipated Apple Intelligence features on October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman says the release date is arriving this month later than initially expected, as Apple is reportedly taking extra time to ensure a smooth rollout and prepare its AI cloud...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.1 Beta 6

Monday October 7, 2024 4:27 pm PDT by
We're nearing the end of the iOS 18.1 beta testing process, but Apple is continuing to make tweaks to refine built-in features ahead of when the software launches. With testing winding down, there are fewer new additions, but Apple has made changes worth noting. The new beta is available for both developers and public beta testers. Control Center In the Control Center, Apple has added new...
iPad mini review thumb

iPad Mini 7 Coming Next Month: What to Expect

Tuesday October 8, 2024 6:16 am PDT by
Rumors strongly suggest Apple will release the seventh-generation iPad mini in November, nearly three years after the last refresh. Here's a roundup of what we're expecting from the next version of Apple's small form factor tablet, based on the latest rumors and reports. Design and Display The new iPad mini is likely to retain its compact 8.3-inch display and overall design introduced with...

Top Rated Comments

skellener Avatar
159 months ago
Apple - just stop already. You don't do social. You don't need to either. Stick to what you know. Hardware and great OSes.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisA Avatar
159 months ago
What I DON'T want is any kind of "shopping clutter" on my computer screen. I use two layers of ad blockers already. I don't want Apple to become another Google.

I wish Apple would but their resources back into building computers.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deannnnn Avatar
159 months ago
Pinterest is a complete waste - doubt it even exists five years from now.

I would imagine that a lot of people feel this way about MacRumors. When you look at a popular site like Pinterest and say "Why would anyone want to pin recipes and clothes onto a virtual board?", there are plenty of others who would look at MacRumors and say "Why would anyone want to read about the front panel glass specifications on an unreleased Apple device?"

It's all about personal taste!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
longofest Avatar
159 months ago
Pinterest is a complete waste - doubt it even exists five years from now.

TheFancy is just a home shopping channel in HD.

Would be *very* surprised if there was anything to this rumor.

It might not be around five years from now, but its a great site. There are a lot of really cool ideas on there that people from cooks to interior designers use. You have no idea.

My wife is constantly on Pinterist. It seems to have a very heavy female following.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
damir00 Avatar
159 months ago
Pinterest is a complete waste - doubt it even exists five years from now.

TheFancy is just a home shopping channel in HD.

Would be *very* surprised if there was anything to this rumor.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
longofest Avatar
159 months ago
Like I said...

QVC for internet users.
saying that in reply to my quote is a bit demeaning to women :(

I know my wife "pins" essentially any idea that she has that she wants to keep around and get reminded of later to help formulate ideas. Kind of like an internet cork/bulletin board. And then she can see other's ideas and collaborate off of that.

At least I think that's the idea. Like I said, not a user myself. But I know enough to disagree with the notion that it's a "QVC for internet users".
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)