TikTok and Shopify team up to launch TikTok Shopping

The first retailers can now sell directly to UK customers on TikTok, through a new Shopify pilot. A limited number of retailers are now taking part in a TikTok Shopping pilot via Shopify. Soon all merchants that sell via Shopify will be able to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profile. This enables them to sync their product catalogues in order to create a mini-storefront. Shopify says that makes it easier for TikTok creators to sell directly to their customers on the social media platform.

Shopify is also working with TikTok to launch product links that its merchants can use to tag products in organic TikTok posts. In addition to sending consumers directly to their online store for checkout. From there, shoppers can either buy directly from the merchant’s storefront or click on a tagged product in a TikTok post.

The quick growth of social commerce

The pilot comes at a time when retailers and content creators are seeing social commerce grow quickly. Shopify says that within a year, its social commerce channels were installed 76% more often than in the previous year. Furthermore, they found that 54% of younger consumers discover brands via social media.

Facebook and Instagram already support social commerce. Meanwhile, Twitter launched a Shop module in a pilot earlier this Summer. Six years after its first foray into selling via social.

TikTik Shopping pilot is available in the US and UK

The TikTok Shopping pilot is currently being used by Shopify merchants in the US and UK. A select group of merchants in Canada will be added to the pilot in coming weeks. Those selling via Shopify can request early access to the TikTok Shopping pilot.

Helping merchants to reach consumers

Shimona Mehta, managing director EMEA at Shopify, says: “We are excited to bring new shopping experiences to one of the world’s most popular social and entertainment platforms. Social commerce has fundamentally changed the way we shop as people now expect to be able to browse and purchase through the platforms where they spend most of their time. The expansion of our partnership with TikTok will mean that our merchants can reach the platform’s hundreds of millions of highly engaged users across the UK.

“By more deeply integrating commerce with TikTok, we will help merchants to reach consumers where they like to shop and help creators and merchants deepen their relationships. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries together with TikTok as social commerce and the creator economy continue to grow.”

Connecting with particular customer demographics

This new in-app shopping ability on TikTok is a reminder to brands. If they are looking to connect with particular customer demographics such as Gen Z, they need to ensure their digital strategy incorporates a social commerce component. These trends showcase that brands cannot possibly create a long-term customer engagement strategy if they are not meeting them on the platform of their choice.

Brands who are already capitalising on these capabilities are not thriving by coincidence. They are preparing for it and they are researching this type of consumer. Most importantly, they are putting forth and investing in a strategy that thrives in this sort of environment.