US retail giant Walmart has partnered up with video-sharing app TikTok to sell its fashion merchandise.
The store chain said on Thursday it can now sell items seen on a livestream on the Chinese-owned app.
Walmart said viewers on TikTok, which can number 100 million a month in the US, will be able to shop for fashion items featured in content from popular creators without having to leave the platform.
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The first livestream took place on Friday on Walmart’s profile page on TikTok.
The livestream will feature national brands like Champion, Jordache, Kendall + Kylie and some private brands including Free Assembly, Scoop and Sofia Jeans, Walmart said.
“It gives us a new way to engage with users and reach potential new customers,” William White, Walmart’s US chief marketing officer, wrote in a blog post.
The world’s largest retailer’s planned investment in TikTok will help it engage with a younger audience and supercharge its battle against Amazon.com Inc in e-commerce and online advertising.
But political tensions between the United States and China, and continued uncertainty, could still stand in the way of those plans.
Walmart’s online sales have surged during the Covid-19 pandemic as customers have avoided crowds, fearing they would contract the virus, and have turned to online shopping in increasing numbers.
- Reuters
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