TikTok Taps TalkShopLive to Host US Live Shopping

Social media platform TikTok is launching live shopping in North America — and in an attempt to avoid problems that afflicted the U.K. version of its program, it will turn to outside technological help.

Citing anonymous sources, the Financial Times reported Saturday (Oct. 1) that TikTok is close to finalizing a partnership with TalkShopLive for the shopping service. Through the partnership, brands, retailers and social influencers would be able to put shopping links on the screens of TikTok users.

“TikTok wants a turnkey solution to this, somebody who can help manage the live shopping process,” one person familiar with the plans said, according to the report.

Douyin, a TikTok-related app in China, used a similar model and more than tripled its year-on-year sales in the 12 months to May, the Financial Times wrote. The report also noted that while TikTok Shop struggled in the U.K., it is working well in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

However, the problems were sufficient enough that some companies exited the U.K. service, prompting TikTok to drop plans earlier this year to expand the service into Europe.

“When it comes to market expansion for TikTok Shop we are always guided by demand and are constantly exploring new and different options for how we can best serve our community, creators and merchants in markets around the world,” TikTok told the Financial Times. “These efforts include exploring partnerships which further support a seamless eCommerce experience for merchants, which is an important part of our ecosystem.”

California-based TalkShopLive has run live commerce systems for four years, working with companies including Walmart and Microsoft’s MSN Shopping.

Learn more: Walmart’s Social Commerce Shift Lowers Walls Between Physical, Digital Retail

Last month, the co-founder and CEO of TalkShopLive, Bryan Moore, told PYMNTS that “this is not just television shopping 2.0. What this actually is doing is redefining shopping and providing an online shopping experience that’s worth talking about.”