TikTok is set to introduce its ecommerce activities in continental Europe soon. The company has started inviting merchants to beta-test in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Launches in other European countries are likely to follow eventually.
This was reported by the South China Morning Post, based on several anonymous sources. They suggest an introduction in Western Europe in the upcoming summer. TikTok Shop is also said to be launching in Mexico soon.
TikTok Shop in Europe
TikTok, the international subsidiary of Chinese company ByteDance, launched TikTok Shop in certain parts of Asia early 2022, followed by expansions in the United Kingdom and the United States. Further expansion was delayed, reportedly due to disappointing results in the United Kingdom, but now seems to be approaching.
Expansion was delayed, but now seems imminent.
With the addition of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico, TikTok Shop will be active in 13 countries. It has already gained a strong foothold in the countries where it is active.
Over 15 million sellers
Worldwide, TikTok Shop had more than 15 million sellers in December, adding more than 6 million in the second half of the year, the company said. It was on track to record around 20 billion dollars in global gross merchandise value (GMV) last year. For this year, TikTok is aiming for a GMV of 50 billion dollars for its shopping branch.
TikTok’s trade value is already tens of billions of dollars.
It is likely that a launch of TikTok Shop in other European countries will follow eventually. TikTok may also introduce fulfillment services on the continent, as it has already done in the United Kingdom.
More than a showcase
Last summer, the social media giant ceased TikTok Storefront and its associated Shopify integration. Because of that, it no longer offers sellers alternatives for direct selling on TikTok. The company wants shoppers to make purchases directly on the social platform, rather than being redirected to external websites.