TikTok Shop Testing Image Search Capability in US, Southeast Asia

TikTok is reportedly testing image search capability for TikTok Shop.

This capability allows users to use a photo that they have taken or uploaded to find similar items in TikTok Shop, TechCrunch reported Tuesday (June 11).

The image search feature is now available to all users in the United States and Southeast Asia and can be accessed via a camera icon in the search bar of TikTok Shop, according to the report.

The feature enables users to shop for specific items on TikTok Shop without having to use textual descriptions, the report said.

The rollout of this capability suggests that TikTok aims to compete with Google, which has long offered a visual search tool called Google Lens, and Amazon, which also offers image search, per the report. Other companies that offer image search tools for shopping include Klarna and Cherry.

It was reported in April that TikTok Shop had more than 500,000 eCommerce merchants selling to American users at the end of 2023, more than double the number it had a year earlier.

The platform also had more than 15 million sellers worldwide at that time, up by 6 million.

“While your traditional model might be scrolling through a list of products on a web page, we’re aiming to create an experience where it’s something more entertaining and engaging than that,” Mary Hubbard, head of governance and experience for TikTok Shop Americas, told Bloomberg at the time. “We want people to feel that their shopping experience is tailored and relevant to them, in the same way that they feel their ‘For You Feed’ is.”

While TikTok Shop has been experiencing rapid growth, TikTok has reportedly decided to put its plans for expanding its eCommerce business in major European markets on hold.

Before the pause, the company had planned to roll out its shopping platform in Spain, Germany, Italy, France and Ireland as early as July. It also intended to bring the Shop feature to Mexico and Brazil.

Instead, the ByteDance-owned social media platform will concentrate on growing its presence in the U.S., its most lucrative market, where it faces potential divestment or ban.