As reported by AdAge (via Matt Navarra), TikTok has quietly launched an in-app checkout feature in the US that lets brands sell their products directly on TikTok. The platform has invited some brands like pop culture product boutique Pacsun and beauty brand KimChi Chic to offer their products on TikTok.
Brands that offer a shopping experience on TikTok will have a small bag icon on their profile. There, users can explore a product catalog with images, videos, description, and prices. Users can also add products from different stores to the same cart. The move comes as more and more people, especially teenagers, are using TikTok as a search engine.
But this doesn’t mean that TikTok will be successful with its shopping experience. That’s because Instagram tried to do the exact same thing, but the results weren’t good. Shopping features on Instagram were added in 2018 and became a dedicated tab in the app in 2020. Earlier this year, Meta confirmed that the Shop tab would be removed from the app.
Source: 9TO5Mac