Left Behind From Indonesia, The TikTok Baru Store This Week Launched In The US

The in-app shopping feature TikTok is starting to roll out in the US market. (photo: twitter @tiktok_us)

JAKARTA - The in-app shopping feature TikTok has finally started rolling out on the US market. The company started testing the TikTok Store feature this week, as first reported by Semafor, which allows users to buy goods directly within the TikTok app.

As long as the e-commerce business has long been TikTok's main focus, the start is slower in the US than in other regions such as Asia. The company has previously been experimenting with Shopify's shopping tab and is preparing to bring shopping features directly to the US after earlier this year reportedly running slowly.

TikTok spokesman Laura Perez confirmed that the new feature is being tested in the US but does not provide additional details. The spending feature was previously limited to the UK, Indonesia, and other countries in Southeast Asia. According to Semafor, TikTok invited US businesses to new shopping programs, with access that eventually expanded to international sellers.

TikTok is also eyeing direct spending in the US, partnering with the company to bring the feature to users for the holiday season. What's more, the platform has recruited jobs linked to US-based fulfillment centers that will provide warehousing and returns for customers.

The e-commerce industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and has become a fiercely contested space among leading Internet companies, and its future growth cannot be underestimated, Perez said, quoted by The Verge.

"With millions of loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to provide new and better e-commerce experiences to our users," said Perez.