This week 8thBridge rolled out a new platform for social commerce called Graphite. If you remember, 8thBridge was the first company to enable the selling of merchandise on Facebook with its 1-800-Flowers store back in 2009.

WebProNews spoke with Wade Gerten, 8thBridge’s CEO, who told us that the new platform creates a shopping experience that goes beyond Facebook stores. Graphite actually allows consumers to tell their friends about brands they like in their existing shopping channels.

Gerten told us that both consumers and brands benefit from the new platform because it doesn’t take either party out of his comfort zone. With Graphite, Facebook is used as more of a platform for discovering products through friends. The transactions, however, can be made on the brand’s website, in its brick and mortar store, or whatever channel the consumer would normally visit.

Brands such as American Apparel, Hallmark, Elle, and Oscar de la Renta have already partnered with 8thBridge in the launch of Graphite. Gerten said that we should expect more in the near future.