TikTok is rolling out the TikTok Shop feature in the United States. So far, only a limited number of merchants have been invited to test the social commerce solution.

TikTok Shop is already available in the UK and a handful of Asian countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Phillippines.

This expansion is part of TikTok’s continued effort to make it big in the social commerce space. According to recent news, TikTok is building fulfillment centers in the US, which might mean that the platform is trying to compete not just with other native social commerce solutions (like Meta’s Facebook and Instagram shops), but also with large online retailers like Amazon.

TikTok’s social commerce solution offers brands looking to sell on the platform a number of advantages:

  • A built-in payment system that makes it easy for customers to buy products without leaving the platform
  • A massive user base that gives merchants access to a potential customer base much larger than what they could reach on their own
  • An algorithm designed to surface content that is relevant and interesting to users, which means that products are more likely to be seen by people most likely to buy

TikTok’s move into social commerce is a logical one, and it could potentially be very lucrative for the platform and for the brands that set up shop. However, it remains to be seen whether TikTok will be able to successfully compete with the likes of Amazon and other big online retailers.

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