1-800-Flowers.com has opened the first retail store within Facebook, according to the Associated Press (don't worry AP, I won't quote you).

This is what the Facebook shopping experience looks like:

Seems like you're shopping in a widget, right? You are. And that's awesome.

Shopping within a widget or ad is nothing new. The 1-800-Flowers.com move is notable because a major retailer offering its products through a massive audience platform is evidence the big companies are starting to get it: They need to sell their goods where audiences already gather.

Creating a retail experience within a popular social networking service is an important acknowledgement that online audiences are empowered to go where they want, when they want. Companies need to work with audience behavior, not bend it to their will.

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