Is TikTok Shop the Real Deal?
By Isabella Rubolino
If you are someone who is at least semi-active on Tiktok, then you have probably heard about the TikTok shop. It seems that every time you open the app, there is a new video of a creator talking about their newest purchase, and including a link in their video that takes you to the TikTok shop. The TikTok shop has been making huge waves in the present day of digital marketing and the way we shop online. But is the TikTok shop actually legitimate? And could it be the newest trend in digital commerce? Allow me to find out.
WHAT EXACTLY IS TIKTOK SHOP?
The app Tiktok is a popular short-form video app where users can create any type of videos they want, from product reviews to dances, so why would TikTok create a place for users to shop? In simplicity, the Tiktok shop is an in-app shopping platform. But what makes this unique? Tiktok itself claims the shop is “Powered by TikTok's unique discovery engine and enables brands and creators to showcase and sell products directly on TikTok, through a suite of in-app shopping touchpoints.” This means the powerful TikTok algorithm looks at user data and show users products that would be most suited to them. The TikTok shop features live shopping, shoppable videos, a shop page, and a shop tab. TikTok is an app that is almost famous for product promotion, even before the implementation of the TikTok shop, with people going on and making videos about products they like and telling viewers where the items were purchased, without receiving a commission of any kind. It seems to me like TikTok shop is capitalizing on that trend. Creators can now link up with brands to receive commissions by linking products in their videos. In addition to this, TikTok offers numerous coupons for new and returning customers, which can greatly influence a possible purchase decision. According to an article from CNN Business, author Jennifer Korn said many other social media platforms, including the Metaverse (Instagram and Facebook), had livestream shopping and in-app shopping options, but have since removed these choices. Tiktok could be capitalizing on the growing trends in Asia of livestream shopping by now offering this option. TikTok is now projecting to quadruple merchandise sales from in-app selling, projecting to hit $20 billion by the end of 2023, so not only is TikTok shop a new way for creators to bring in revenue, but it is also an opportunity for TikTok itself.
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IS IT LEGITIMATE?
Like many other users I am sure, my first thought about the TikTok shop was, is this legitimate, or will I be getting scammed? In an article from Money.com, author Julia Glum says “Merchants are vetted before they can launch on TikTok Shop, and once they’re live, they must follow a set of guidelines that prohibits fake, fraudulent or misleading content.” Also, TikTok itself does not handle payment information and instead uses third-party platform PayPal, which is known to be secure. Still, I was not satisfied with simple reviews and articles, so I decided to purchase something from the TikTok shop. After weeks of being fed videos with ads on my For You Page, I finally broke down and bought something, a heated round brush. I paid less than half the price for it, with TikTok’s coupons and promotions. After using it many times, I can say I have no problems with my purchase. The only issue I can note was that the delivery date was two days after projected, but what shopping platform does not have shipping delays from time to time? Overall, I am satisfied with my shopping experience and items.
TAKEAWAYS
Overall, I can say a few things about the TikTok shop:
One thing is, I think it is safe to purchase from. Many reviews have all been positive. Still, as with any new shopping platform, proceed with caution.
The numerous discounts make it significantly cheaper than some other retailers, like Amazon.
I think the TikTok shop might just be the next consumer trend. Despite having launched only recently, the TikTok shop is hugely successful. Catherine Erdly from Forbes magazine says their recent summer Sale event experienced over 276 million live views and nearly 135 million views on TikTok shop-associated hashtags.
All that being seen, I think it is safe to say, the TikTok shop is here to stay.
