Social media platform TikTok has expanded its e-commerce arm to Germany, France, and Italy.
Users in these countries will now be able to browse and buy items directly from the app.
The service has been active in the UK since 2021. Jan Wilk, the head of operations at TikTok Shop UK, says TikTok have learnt lessons from their UK operation and hope to slide right into Europe’s e-commerce ecosystem.
Users in these countries will now be able to browse and buy items directly from the app.
The service has been active in the UK since 2021. Jan Wilk, the head of operations at TikTok Shop UK, says TikTok have learnt lessons from their UK operation and hope to slide right into Europe’s e-commerce ecosystem.
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00:00Consumers in Italy, France and here in Germany are now able to make purchases using the TikTok e-commerce platform.
00:09The site allows businesses, brands and creators to market their product direct to TikTok users,
00:15with sellers ranging from individual craft sellers and small to medium-sized enterprises
00:20to luxury goods stores selling second-hand designer handbags.
00:24The shop has been active in the United Kingdom since 2021
00:28and speaking to the Reuters news agency, the head of operations at TikTok Shop UK
00:33said they hope to slide right into the European e-commerce ecosystem.
00:38My own expectation for Europe is to launch with more speed than we did in the UK
00:43because in the UK four years ago, this model was very new.
00:47We had to do a lot of education. We had to try out a lot of things to try and get the right fit.
00:55This European expansion comes as the hours are ticking down for TikTok's future in the United States.
01:00President Donald Trump has given ByteDance, the Chinese parent company,
01:04until the end of this week to find an American buyer or face being blocked in the United States.
01:10The president has signaled that he expects a deal to be completed by the end of this week
01:15for TikTok to be purchased by an American entity.
01:18But he has also suggested that if it appears that negotiations are progressing,
01:22the deadline that is currently set for Saturday could be extended.
01:26Peter Oliver, CGTN, Berlin.