Popular short-form video content platform TikTok has already experimented with in-app shopping. However, the Beijing-based company is reportedly working on a new feature that could turn every post into a potential shopping opportunity.
As shared by Bloomberg, the feature is currently in early testing. It uses artificial intelligence to identify objects in short videos and suggest similar products from TikTok Shop.
It’s worth noting that TikTok Shop is not yet available in Canada. It is currently only available in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. However, the platform expanded its Ticketmaster partnership to Canada last year, after launching it in the U.S. in 2022. Similarly, the shop feature could also land here sometime in the future.
According to Bloomberg, which quoted unnamed sources familiar with the matter, TikTok aims to sell $17.5 billion USD (roughly $23.4 billion CAD) worth of goods in the US this year, according to sources, and the new AI-enabled feature is sure to aid in reaching the ambitious goal.
However, the TikTok Shop has faced some challenges and criticism. Users have reported receiving fake or low-quality products from the platform. Merchants, on the other hand, have praised TikTok Shop for boosting their sales and exposure.
Further, the report states that the algorithm TikTok is using isn’t perfect. An example shared indicated that a video of a woman polishing stones showed a gold ring and metallic nails as similar items.
Source: Bloomberg
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