Canada’s e-commerce giant Shopify has partnered with TikTok to work on a feature that would let shoppers buy directly from the social media app on Tuesday. It will allow users to purchase products directly from merchants in a move that could help the platform take advantage of the surge in e-commerce. When it comes to marketing, the most successful brands know how to build community before pushing purchases.
When every cooking video, makeup tutorial, and viral trend adaptation is a potential sale, the social platform has turned to Shopify to make it easier for brands and creators to move down the marketing funnel. When users click on an account page, a shopping bag storefront icon appears next to the feed of videos.
“Creators are paving the way for a new kind of entrepreneurship where content, community, and commerce are key,” said Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify.
“By enabling new in-app shopping experiences and product discovery on TikTok for the first time, Shopify is powering the creator economy on one of the fastest-growing social and entertainment platforms in the world. We are excited to help this next generation of entrepreneurs connect with their audiences in more ways—and with TikTok as a visionary partner, he added.”
Shopify said Tuesday that businesses will be able to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles to create a “mini-storefront” that links directly to their online store for checkout. The pilot version is currently available to users in the U.S. and UK and the company will launch in additional regions in the coming months. One of the first users to take advantage of the new feature will be a reality star and makeup mogul Kylie Jenner, who peddles her multi-million dollar Kylie Cosmetics brand to her nearly 35 million followers on TikTok.
“Our community has transformed shopping into an experience that’s rooted in discovery, connection, and entertainment, creating unparalleled opportunities for brands to capture consumers’ attention,” said Blake Chandlee, President, Global Business Solutions at TikTok.
“TikTok is uniquely placed at the centre of content and commerce, and these new solutions make it even easier for businesses of all sizes to create engaging content that drives consumers directly to the digital point of purchase. We’re thrilled to be expanding our partnership with Shopify and making TikTok more accessible than ever for their merchants, Blake Chandlee added.”
The TikTok Shopping pilot is currently available to Shopify merchants in the US and UK. A select group of merchants in Canada will participate in the pilot in the coming weeks, and the feature will roll out to additional regions in the coming months.
