Shopify merchants across the UK will soon be able to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles as part of an extended partnership between the e-commerce and mobile video platforms.
The move means that creators will be able to sell directly to customers via the TikTok platform.
Shimona Mehta, managing director EMEA at Shopify, said: “We are excited to bring new shopping experiences to one of the world’s most popular social and entertainment platforms.
“Social commerce has fundamentally changed the way we shop as people now expect to be able to browse and purchase through the platforms where they spend most of their time. The expansion of our partnership with TikTok will mean that our merchants can reach the platform’s hundreds of millions of highly engaged users across the UK.
“By more deeply integrating commerce with TikTok, we will help merchants to reach consumers where they like to shop and help creators and merchants deepen their relationships. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries together with TikTok as social commerce and the creator economy continue to grow.”
Discoverability has become a growing priority for Shopify merchants with social commerce providing an opportunity for independent businesses to increase awareness of their brand.
Shopify’s 2021 Future of Commerce report found that 54% of younger consumers globally discover brands via social media.
Shopify has also partnered with TikTok to launch product links, which Shopify merchants can use to tag products in organic TikTok posts and send consumers directly to their online store for checkout.
Social commerce continues to be one of the fastest-growing channels for Shopify merchants. From February 2020 to February 2021, installs of Shopify’s social commerce channels increased by 76%.
Lisa Friedrich, head of SMB at TikTok EMEA, said: “The businesses thriving today innovate to find the best ways to engage with customers and TikTok has provided brands a creative outlet to authentically do this. As the home of joyful creativity, and with a hugely diverse audience, we are thrilled to expand our partnership with Shopify as it means we can go even further to help support brands on this journey. We hope that this partnership will continue to be a game-changer for Shopify merchants in Europe, helping them to quickly, effectively and accurately connect with our community in the UK.
“We are committed to helping support our platform with innovative shopping solutions, and work towards ensuring these businesses are at the heart of future economic growth.”
