TikTok Shop launches for all US users—what brands and creators should know

With the launch of TikTok Shop, the social media platform is tapping into its existing sway over users’ purchases, particularly those of Gen Z and millennial consumers—as embodied by the potent #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt phenomenon—and further seeking to establish itself as an all-in-one e-commerce destination. Through TikTok Shop, brands can tag products within both in-feed videos and livestreams that users can click on and purchase all within the app, rather than needing to leave TikTok to buy the product on a brand’s website. 

Also read: Inside TikTok and Amazon’s ad relationship

Brands can also feature a shoppable product catalog directly on their TikTok pages, which allow consumers to browse different products, read other users’ reviews and purchase a product. TikTok initially began piloting several of these in-app shopping features as far back as November with brands such as PacSun and Revolve. 

At this point, more than 200,000 brands and merchants are already selling products through TikTok Shop, according to a TikTok blog post. The company pointed to brands such as direct-to-consumer clothing brand Alexander Jane Boutique—which a TikTok spokesperson said generated $1 million in sales in 90 days through TikTok Shop—and dental product brand MySmile, which amassed nearly $100,000 in TikTok Shop revenue across two shoppable, QVC-esque livestreams, according to the spokesperson.