Shopify, TikTok team up to let users shop from app
The logo of Shopify is seen outside its headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Sept 28, 2018.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONAugust 25, 2021 1:47 AM
Canada's e-commerce giant Shopify Inc said on Tuesday (Aug 24) it was partnering with TikTok to work on a feature that would let shoppers buy directly from the social media app.
Shopify merchants who have a TikTok business account would soon be able to add a shopping tab to their profiles for the first time ever, the company said in a blog post.
The pilot version is currently available to users in the US and UK and the company will launch in additional regions in the coming months.
Social media giants including Facebook Inc, Alphabet's YouTube and Twitter have recently been investing heavily in shopping features to drive sales growth.
The companies are vying for a piece of the so-called social commerce industry, which relies on users' ability to discover and buy products through social media apps and is expected to balloon to $50 billion (S$68 billion) from $36 billion in annual sales by 2023 in the United States according to research firm eMarketer.