Credit: Bloomberg
TikTok is experimenting with what looks like its latest push into e-commerce. According to Bloomberg, some users in the US are now beginning to see a new Shop tab appear in the app.
The new Shop tab, according to Bloomberg, is set between the “Following” feeds, giving it a premium placement in the app. The new tab is displaying a scrollable listing of what seems like random products, basically from China.
Encouraged by the success of similar push in the Chinese market, TikTok will hope its new e-commerce drive into the US markets will have similar impact.
TikTok is also testing a new Shop Feed feature in the UK as it continues to experiment with new ways to integrate shopping into the app. The new test involves a new ‘Shop’ tab, which is swipeable from the main screen and is appearing for some users.
Reliable social media commentator Matt Navarra posted information about the new test via his Twitter page. According to the screenshot posted by Matt, some users are now seeing a third ‘Shop’ tab in the app, alongside the usual ‘Following and ‘For You.’
In February, TikTok started testing an in-app shopping feature. The truth is that in-app shopping has not performed to expectations, as most social media apps expected.
The in-app test is being done quietly, and a selection of retailers in the US have access to a new in-stream shopping tab activated on their profiles.
Among brands currently in beta are, according to the report, Pacsun, pop culture products boutique Three Little Mingos, and beauty brand KimChi Chic.
The in-stream shopping flow includes a shop overview and a direct purchase flow, all within the TikTok app. This is unlike the regular TikTok shop process, which reverts you back to the retailer’s website to convert.
TikTok added a new “Order Center” button to users’ profiles in 2022. The Chinese-owned app is just one of several social media platforms embracing e-commerce, and the new Order Center button goes to show how far the company has gone. An order button can only mean one thing—you can place an order online while using TikTok.
Closely related to the addition is the recent integration with Ticketmaster. TikTok announced it has reached an agreement with Ticketmaster that enables artists to sell their event tickets within the TikTok app. With the new integration, performers can now easily reach more fans directly within the TikTok app.
