TikTok has begun testing a feature that will make all video posts shoppable, the latest step in the social media company’s efforts to build a multibillion-dollar e-commerce business in the United States. With this new feature, objects in a video can be automatically identified by technology. After that, it prompts users to click on a product page on the TikTok Shop to find comparable items. Before, products could only be tagged by brands and approved influencers in content uploaded to the app. The company introduced a TikTok shop in the US last year in an attempt to merge product discovery with shopping.
To bring together the convenience of Amazon.com Inc. shopping with the product discovery capabilities of social media platforms like Instagram, the Chinese social media company launched the American version of TikTok Shop last year. The company, which hopes to sell $17.5 billion worth of goods in the United States this year, has made this new project a top priority. But reviews of Shop’s debut have been conflicting thus far.
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After witnessing record-breaking sales, merchants praised and cheered the app, with TikTok financing discounts and free shipping. Users, however, have taken issue with products that are sold on TikTok’s marketplace that are knockoffs and counterfeit. Some claim the experience is being ruined by the abundance of influencer posts that resemble advertisements.
Over 5 million new customers made purchases back in November. On the other hand, consumers have been grumbling about knockoffs and counterfeit goods being offered for sale. Some claim that the experience is being destroyed by ad-like posts. The company incentivizes creators to promote merchandise by paying them commissions on product purchases made from their posts.
To address these issues, a new feature that is currently undergoing testing links products to posts made by regular users without making a strong sales pitch. This strategy aims to give guests who are primarily looking for entertainment a more pleasurable experience. Even though the new feature is still undergoing testing, it has already demonstrated improvement potential.
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