ByteDance Launches E-Commerce Service in USA

According to a blog post on Sep 12, TikTok has officially launched its e-commerce business in the United States after months of testing, as its Chinese-owner ByteDance looks to capitalise on the social media app's popularity.

TikTok is bringing online shopping to its main app through a series of features, hoping to replicate the success of Asian platforms Shein and PDD Holdings' Temu.

TikTok's more than 150 million US users will now be able to see videos and live streams with links to purchase items in their feed, as the company now provides tools for content creators, brands, and merchants to create shoppable content.

New features include a shop tab, where businesses can display their products with logistics and payment solutions powered by TikTok. The social media firm said it also integrated its shopping service with various third-party platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, and Zendesk, among others.

TikTok's online marketplace, which was reportedly in the works in the US since November, is available in countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and the United Kingdom.