Shopify is scaling social commerce with a new partnership that will roll out new in-app shopping experiences on TikTok. According to Shopify, social commerce represents one of the fastest growing channels for its merchants. While still a fraction of the market in China, social commerce in the US is predicted to increase by 35.8% to $36.62 billion in 2021, representing a slight deceleration in growth from the pandemic-driven tipping point in 2020, when sales surged by 38.9%.
TikTok Shopping will make Shopify the first commerce platform to help creators and merchants convert sales in-app through organic product discovery and shopping tabs. Shopify merchants with a TikTok For Business account will soon be able to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles and sync their product catalogs to create a mini-storefront that links directly to their online store for checkout.
“Creators are paving the way for a new kind of entrepreneurship where content, community, and commerce are key," Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, said in a blog post. "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. We are excited to help this next generation of entrepreneurs connect with their audiences in more ways—and with TikTok as a visionary partner.”
Shopify and TikTok have also partnered to bring product links to Shopify merchants, which can be used to tag products in organic TikTok posts. Consumers can shop directly from the merchant's storefront or click a tagged product in a merchant's TikTok video, taking them to the merchant's online store for checkout.
“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. "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. We're thrilled to be expanding our partnership with Shopify and making TikTok more accessible than ever for their merchants.”
The TikTok Shopping pilot is currently available to Shopify merchants in the US and UK, with a select group of merchants in Canada participating in the pilot in the coming weeks. The feature will roll out to additional regions in the coming months. Shopify merchants can request early access to the TikTok Shopping pilot via Shopify's TikTok channel.
