“This marks TikTok’s latest efforts to expand its capabilities in the ecommerce space and demonstrates its commitment to giving users on its platform a more streamlined experience. Integrating a leading marketplace like Shopify onto the platform is a significant step in making buying directly through social media platforms easier. In fact,15% of social media users would be encouraged to buy/buy more via social media if there were direct in-app checkout features - doubling to 30% for 16-24 (see Impact of Social Media on Retail - UK, 2022).
The UK expansion is also a timely one ahead of Mother’s Day as Tik Tok also launched a new ‘Fresh Flowers & Live Plants’ product category with a pre-order function - making it easy for shoppers to buy and send flowers at a few clicks of a button. Shopping for flowers and houseplant needs to be fuss-free and having a convenience-driven shopping experience is a must. The cut flowers and houseplants sector has benefited from the wider expansion of the online channel with social media at the forefront. Younger consumers are confident shoppers across a range of digital devices-illustrating the flexible and agile nature of their shopping habits with 30% of 16-34s buying flowers/houseplants via smartphones in 2023/24 compared to 24% a year before (see upcoming report on Cut Flowers and Houseplants-UK, 2024).”