TikTok brings shopping feature to the US

Social media platform TikTok has initiated a roll out of its in-app shopping experience, bringing TikTok Shop to US users who will be able to access a series of shopping-centric features.

Through the addition, the platform’s 150 million users in the region can now view shoppable videos and live streams, while brands and merchants have the option to sell directly through shoppable content.

Such features include in-feed video shopping, product showcases, a new shop tab and marketplace, an affiliate programme and shop ads.

In addition to this, the newly introduced ‘Fulfilled by TikTok’ – first debuted in the UK in August – offers a logistics solution that provides merchants with services to store, pick, pack and ship products to customers.

While TikTok appears to be marching on with confidence in the feature now, the roll out of TikTok Shop has not been entirely smooth so far.

Plans to take the concept international, after first launching a trial in the UK in 2022, were put to a halt for other regions after the project was believed to have failed in meeting targets.

A source for the Financial Times noted that consumer awareness and adoption was low, resulting in poor sales despite various incentives presented to consumers.

Later in the year, however, the publication then reported that the platform was to go ahead with bringing the shopping initiative to the US through a partnership with TalkShopLive.

While at the time, it was believed that the feature was to come into fruition at the end of 2022, it is only now that the scheme appears to be going ahead.