Shopify and TikTok partner up to launch TikTok Shopping
Shopify, the eCommerce staple, and TikTok, the short-video platform, have partnered up to launch TikTok Shopping where merchants would be able to add purchase tabs to their videos to bring in an organic shopping experience.
With this launch, users who have TikTok for Business accounts would be able to attach shopping buttons and tabs to the videos and make it a mini online storefront so that the viewers would be able to see the products in the videos and if they wish to buy any of them, they can do so at the click of a few buttons. This provides a win-win situation for the shop as well as the viewers who would not need to search for the items. For TikTok, it is also a way to further monetize the videos and ensure that its viewers do not need to go outside of the app for purchases.
“Creators are paving the way for a new kind of entrepreneurship where content, community, and commerce are key,” said Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, in the joint announcement. “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.”
This will be further enhanced to include product links in the future where viewers would be able to click on products that are tagged in the videos and they would be taken to the storefront within the app or to the online store of the merchant who sells the merchandise. This is another step forward in the field of social commerce that has been growing strongly of late and is expected to dominate the online shopping space in the future.
“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, in the joint announcement. “TikTok is uniquely placed at the center 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.”
Shopify has also partnered with Affirm to launch the buy now pay later (BNPL) feature on its storefronts which is expected to further encourage users to shop by allowing the purchase amounts to be repaid in installments.
