Walmart is offering live shopping to TikTok on Friday

A line forms outside Walmart in Quincy, MA on April 4, 2020 as the store applies new capacity restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. People wait outside wearing masks, turning away from each other.

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TikTok is launching into live, marketable broadcasts starting with Walmart’s partnership this week.

Retailer Advertise It will host a one-hour live broadcast on Friday on TikTok, where users can shop for Walmart costume items offered by the TikTok creators without having to leave the app. Once the event ends, users will still be able to shop the items on offer by visiting Walmart’s TikTok page for shopping.

It’s the first time that TikTok has hosted a live, shop-like broadcast in the US

“This gives us a new way to interact with users and reach potential new customers, while also bringing our own brand of fun – with the help of the fashion-loving TikTok creators – to the platform,” Walmart’s chief marketing officer, William White, said in a statement. . It is not clear if there will be a profit share of sales made through the app. A Walmart spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tech giants and social media companies are investing heavily in making their platforms more convenient for shopping. Last year, Amazon launched Amazon Live, where hosts talk about and feature products sold on Amazon. Google R&D launched ShoploopFacebook has made shopping even more Flat On the right Facebook, The WhatsApp And the Instagram.

But marketable live broadcasts, similar to QVC, have struggled to take off in the US, though Strong popularity in Asia. A test run for Walmart and TikTok this week indicates that they see opportunity and momentum in space and want to leave a footprint early on.

TikTok was already making its way into the ecommerce space. The application Test new social trading features began last year By allowing some users to add links to their personal files and videos. Retail giant Levi’s was among the first retail brands to use TikTok’s new “Shop Now” feature to direct users to merchandise.

By collaborating with Walmart, both companies can boost their e-commerce operations, while giving the brick-and-mortar giant an edge with its young TikTok user base. Walmart, which has been in talks to partially acquire some TikTok operations, has indicated it wants to Bring shopping to the platform.

“If you’ve been watching a video on TikTok and someone has an item of clothing or an item you really like, what if you could buy that item quickly?” Walmart CEO Doug Macmillon He told CNBC in October. “This is what we see happening in countries around the world. It is interesting to us, and we would like to be a part of it.”

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