According to the Financial Times, TikTok plans to bring the live shopping “TikTok Shop” to North America using outsourced technology. According to information, it will launch “next month with major brands” so that users can benefit from holiday shopping.
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TikTok Shop is based on a similar, successful live shopping feature on sister app Douyin in China, which is also available in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. Last year, TikTok Shop launched in the UK – the only country available outside of Asia.
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A similar feature on Douyin reportedly hosted 9 million live ecommerce broadcasts per month, selling over 10 billion products in a single year from May 2021 to May 2022 — three times the previous year. However, TikTok Shop didn’t do as well in the UK , and because of that, TikTok postponed its planned launch in other European.
The underlying technology is supposed to be provided by the American company TalkShopLive, which will also support livestreams from influencers and brands. The agreements are still under discussion and «no contracts have been signed», reports FT.
TikTok neither denied nor confirmed the upcoming US availability. “When it comes to market expansion for TikTok Shop, we are always driven by demand and are constantly exploring new and different options for how we can serve our community, creators and merchants in markets around the world,” the company told the FT. “These efforts include exploring partnerships that further support a seamless ecommerce experience for merchants, which is an important part of our ecosystem.”
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The report comes just a day after Facebook abandoned its own Live Shopping feature. Facebook now requires merchants to showcase their products through Reels, Reels ads, and product tagging in Instagram Reels. Last year, TikTok began testing a Shopping tab, allowing business users to add their profiles, sync their product catalogs, and connect to their online stores. It has also previously piloted live shopping in the U.S., most notably with Walmart.
Information source: engadget.com
