It might have been the worst-kept secret in retail, but after months of unconfirmed reports, behind-the-scenes testing and tales from the front lines, TikTok has finally, formally launched its new ecommerce offering — TikTok Shop.
While the ecommerce functionality has been available to at least some users since late last year, today marks the service’s debut to the wider TikTok community, and to say that both consumers and brands have been eagerly anticipating this development might be an understatement. Brands have been clamoring to sell on TikTok almost from the moment the platform began its meteoric rise and the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag proved its commerce potential. Now it’s here: first launched in the UK and several Asian markets, TikTok Shop was quietly made available in the U.S. in November 2022.
