A line is forming outside Walmart in Quincy, MA on April 4, 2020, as the store implements new capacity restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. People wait outside wearing masks and distance themselves.
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TikTok is venturing into live stream events that can be purchased starting with a Walmart partnership this week.
The retailer announced that it will host a one-hour livestream on Friday on TikTok, where users can buy Walmart fashion items presented by TikTok creators without having to leave the app. Once the event is over, users will still be able to purchase the featured items by visiting Walmart’s TikTok page to shop.
This is the first time TikTok will host a live stream that can be purchased in the US
“It gives us a new way to interact with users and reach potential new customers, while bringing our own fun brand – with the help of fashion-loving TikTok creators – to the platform,” said William White, director of marketing. at Walmart. . It is unclear whether there will be a share of revenue from sales made through the app. A Walmart spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Technology giants and social media companies have invested heavily in making their shopping platforms more user-friendly. Last year, Amazon launched Amazon Live, where hosts talk and demonstrate products sold on Amazon. Google’s research and development launched Shoploop, and Facebook made shopping more prominent on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.
But affordable QVC-like delivery flows have struggled to take off in the US, despite their strong popularity in Asia. Walmart and TikTok’s shopping test this week indicates that they see the opportunity and momentum in space and want to make their mark at the beginning.
TikTok had already made its way into the e-commerce space. The app started testing new social commerce features last year, allowing some users to add links to their profiles and videos. Levi’s retail giant was among the first retail brands to use the new TikTok “Buy Now” feature to direct users to goods.
Through the partnership, both Walmart and TikTok could increase their e-commerce operations, while giving the brick-and-mortar giant an advantage with the young TikTok user base. Walmart, which has been in talks to partially acquire some of TikTok’s operations, has indicated it wants to bring shopping to the platform.
“If you’re watching a TikTok video and someone has a piece of clothing or an item you really like, what if you could buy that item quickly?” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC in October. “That’s what we see happening in countries around the world. And it’s interesting for us and we’d love to be a part of it.”
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