Tanah Abang Traders Deny Selling It Quietly, Instead Assistanceed TikTok Shop

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Traders in Tanah Abang, who sell prayer mats and Muslim worship equipment, admitted that when they were helped by the presence of the TikTok Shop. The reason is, they complain that they only get big fortunes during the Hajj and Eid season. The rest, there are few buyers.

During the Hajj and Lebaran season, there are indeed many people who need worship equipment as souvenirs. Such as prayer mats, mukena, sarongs, prayer beads, to dates and Zam-Zam water in packaging.

Their income can reach hundreds of millions, in just a month. Even when Eid arrives. That means, they earn a large income of two months to be able to support their needs for 10 months.

However, this has not been the case for the past year. A woman who owns a shop in Tanah Abang, Nadia, said that for the past year, almost all traders in Tanah Abang have become familiar with live shouting on TikTok Shop, including herself. Nadia has joined TikTok Shop for a year because it has proven effective in bringing in money even outside the month of Hajj and Eid.

"During Ramadan, many people buy to our shop in Tanah Abang for parcels, souvenirs. Also during the Hajj season, they usually buy for souvenirs. The rest, 10 months is quiet. Well, since the TikTok Shop is there, we focus on selling there, online. The consumers are even more, wider than anywhere else. There are those from Papua, Timika, Kalimantan, Sulawesi because the price is cheaper. There are many discounts for resellers, use wholesale prices. What is certain is that shopping doesn't need to bother Tanah Abang anymore, enough from TikTok Shop baskets," said Nadia, the owner of the @TokoPutriBungsu account, quoted Monday, September 25.

His name is indeed unique, according to Nadia's position in the family. The youngest child chosen by his parents to continue the family business. Yes, this shop in Tanah Abang does belong to his parents. When he graduated from college, he was also asked to help develop the family business.

Established in 1997, the Youngest Women's Store has never left Tanah Abang. Until finally they took advantage of TikTok. Now, every day Nadia (who acts as a host) has to live on TikTok.

Even though she was initially embarrassed and had time to lament her fate because only a few were watching, Nadia is now determined to hone her skills in front of the camera. Putri Bungsu's shop has been able to employ 11 employees and create new jobs.

"Live really helped us once, which initially only relied on income by selling conventionally, only from people who came to Tanah Abang. Since TikTok Shop existed, our consumers are even wider. Indeed, there are several other platforms that have live sales features online, but we are now focusing on selling live on TikTok Shop because the income is indeed bigger there," said Nadia.

So, said Nadia, when there was a discourse to separate the selling features on my TikTok and my traders in Tanah Abang, they were confused. Why can't you sell on social media? Even though it feels so different.

People who shop on TikTok really don't really have the intention of shopping. It's just that when we see the content we make look entertaining, there is a humanist side that is touched. They are also presented with real products, they can see the benefits of the product directly. This then makes them interested.

"What was previously just a scroll looking for entertainment, in the end, I bought it," said Nadia.

Nadia dared to say this because she had experienced getting a few live audiences. That's because the content they show is normal.

But when worked on seriously, by presenting a drama, it is peppered with funny things, their live content becomes more interesting. In fact, the content that once made them boom was watched 3 million times.

A TikTok Shop affiliator, Nahda Nabilla agrees with Nadia regarding the entertaining content on TikTok, which is one of the reasons TikTok users buy a product. The Nahda account, which now has more than 300 thousand followers, often presents soft selling marketing content. This is often done by other TikTok users who join the affiliate program.

"All of us will initially struggle to be able to live on TikTok. In the first two months, we are like crazy people, talking to ourselves in front of our cellphones. It's a shame, but there will be results as time goes on and our consistency. But when we see our basket is filled, it can be seen directly from the screen too, we are getting more enthusiastic," said Nahda.

So, according to Nahda, when live on TikTok Shop, it is different from live on other platforms.

"Other platforms cannot interact directly and do not provide direct baskets. Sometimes we have to switch to other applications for transactions. That's what makes it complicated. If that's the case, consumers usually don't go shopping, because they have to switch from application to application to application," said Nahda.

This means, said Nahda, that if the government's policy to separate TikTok from TikTok Shop is carried out, those affected are not only sellers, but also affiliators like me, and MSME owners in general.

"In addition, of course job vacancies can no longer be widely open. In fact, those who depend on online sales will experience a decrease in income, and will have an impact on employees who will lose their jobs," continued Nahda.