TikTok wants to take off with in-app shopping
TikTok has tapped into an important revenue channel in China through in-app shopping and now wants to encourage its users in Western countries to shop more on its platform. To that end, the video platform has launched its new «Fulfilled by TikTok» (FBT) program in the United Kingdom.
With "Fulfilled by TikTok", the company wants to take over the storage, packaging and shipping of ordered goods on behalf of sellers. This is intended to shorten delivery times and increase customer satisfaction.
The logistics program is designed to make it "easier than ever" for sellers in the UK to sell their goods on TikTok, TikTok says. FBT is designed to take all the time-consuming work away from merchants and offer them a simple, fast and cost-effective solution to do so, it said. "It allows them to better focus on important aspects of their business, such as marketing or content and product development," the initiators said.
"For a small, independent company like us, it's always good to find new ways to increase efficiency," stresses Ning Cheah, founder of makeup brand The Beauty Crop. He says his company has been testing the program for some time. "Thanks to FBT, we have been able to increase our sales volume by 30 percent, and shipping times have become 36 percent shorter. That makes a big difference for us," Cheah explains.
Merchants hand over goods to TikTok
Merchants who want to use FBT transfer part of their goods directly to TikTok. They can choose which products they want to store and ship through the program. Once the items arrive at the FBT warehouse and an order is received, the goods are picked, packed, labeled and finally shipped.
To take advantage of the program, however, retailers must be based in the UK and also deliver there. There is no word yet on whether the offer will be extended to other European countries. Parcels must not exceed a weight of 30 kilograms or a volume of 31.5 cubic liters per shipment. Merchants will be charged by TikTok for warehousing, shipping and other services. (pte/swi)
