Sellers must meet consumers where they are – and they’re scrolling social media. With more than 1 billion active users globally each month, TikTok offers brands and retailers an opportunity to reach an expansive new audience. TikTok Shop is an e-commerce solution integrated within TikTok. Powered by TikTok’s unique discovery engine, it enables brands and creators to showcase and sell products directly on TikTok, through a complete in-app shopping experience.
Why sell through TikTok Shop?
Today’s consumers are turning to social media platforms like TikTok for more than recommendations; they’re using it to complete their purchases online. To meet consumers where they are, sellers are adding TikTok Shop to complement their existing sales channels. By doing so, brands and retailers can engage with new customers while boosting sales and brand visibility.
Brands and retailers are already driving profitable growth by selling through TikTok Shop with Rithum. TikTok sellers on Rithum’s platform grew GMV more than 300% from November 2023 to January 2024.
It’s important to diversify because people comparison shop. A resounding 83% of global consumers will visit two or more websites before buying, according to the 2023 Online Consumer Behavior Global Report by Rithum and research firm Dynata. 72% of consumers said they would go further, visiting two to four websites before converting, according to the report.
Consumers view social media as another channel to shop through. 63% of consumers ages 18-25 said they had been influenced to buy a product after seeing the item promoted by a brand on social media, according to the Rithum and Dynata report.
How can brands and retailers benefit from TikTok Shop?
Today’s consumer looks to content creators for entertainment and advice. TikTok users browse the social media app to connect with content creators or influencers they trust. Here, user-generated content (UGC) is more likely to resonate. Consumers value an authentic shopping experience.
TikTok Shop offers brands and retailers:
- More high-quality traffic: Visibility on purchases improves our algorithms to optimize traffic for conversions.
- More visibility: Track real-time performance, traffic, customer reviews and transaction data through TikTok Shop’s analytics dashboards.
- Creator collaboration at scale: Get access to TikTok Shop’s Affiliate Program, which enables you to easily partner with creators and grow your business.
- Real-time interaction: Leverage the power of live shopping streams to speak directly with viewers and answer their questions to build trust and interest.
How does TikTok Shop work?
Consumers discover products by browsing shoppable content through short videos and live shopping streams. They can select products within these videos and learn more about items on the Product Detail Page. They can then buy by placing orders and completing checkout without leaving the app.
TikTok users can browse and buy in the following ways:
- Shoppable video: Shop directly from a shoppable in-feed video by tapping the product link and basket icon.
- Store page: Shop directly from a brand or creator account and get access to products within the app.
- Live Shopping: Shop directly from a Live, by tapping the pinned products or browsing the shopping basket icon.
- Product detail: Learn everything you need to know about a product from color, sizing, material and more.
- Shopping cart: Add and build a cart with products you discover anywhere in the TikTok app.
- Confirmation: Consumers complete the purchase journey without ever leaving TikTok.
How to start selling with TikTok Shop
Currently, Rithum customers use our TikTok Shop integration to list and sell products in the United States and United Kingdom. To sell through TikTok Shop with Rithum, sellers must register their business and have warehouses located in the United States. Or be a registered business in the U.K. with warehouses located in the United Kingdom.
To get started, sellers must first register through TikTok Shop. You can then add the channel to your Rithum platform account.
How Book & Mortar Record Store LLC achieved record sales with TikTok Shop
Brands and retailers can achieve success in a short amount of time. U.S.-based online retailer Book & Mortar Record Store LLC began selling products through TikTok Shop in August 2023. Owner Eric Auth found he wanted to automate the process along with the rest of his multi-channel commerce strategy. In October 2023 he turned to Rithum to automate selling through TikTok Shop.
During the first month, sales jumped by more than 250% compared with the month prior. In November 2023, sales jumped by 694% and show no signs of slowing.
Auth attributes much of his success to having access to TikTok’s community and automation through Rithum’s platform. Brands and retailers can leverage TikTok’s creator community to help sell products at commission rates set by you, either through direct partnerships with influencers and creators, or through TikTok’s open affiliate platform.
“Rithum has been super helpful with handling orders. I couldn’t do this myself,” Auth said. “The software helps me save time by automating mundane tasks like listing management.”
Learn more about how TikTok Shop with Rithum can help you expand your selling channels and grow profitability.
