More brands are now testing TikTok's Shop feature in the US

TikTok continues its efforts to make its app a shopping destination by integrating more brands into its Shop initiative, which allows businesses to sell their products directly on the application with a experience of full payment. TikTok started testing Shop in the US last November, and now we know of a few other brands that are part of this initial testing phase.

According to a report from Ad Age, companies such as clothing brands such as PacSun, Revolve and Willow Boutique as well as beauty brand KimChi Chic are now part of this shopping experience. Users who wish to purchase the products of these brands can tap the shopping cart icon on the brand's profile to view their catalogs and complete the checkout process without leaving TikTok's app.

Image credits: ad age

The company confirmed to TechCrunch that TikTok Shop in the US is "still in the testing phase", as it has been since November, but did not provide any information on timing for a broader launch .

Although users have been able to purchase products through advertisements on TikTok for quite some time, they were previously redirected to an in-app browser to complete their purchase. With TikTok Shop, the checkout process happens right in the app, making the experience more native and seamless. This is also how Instagram Shop works.

Outside the US, TikTok Shop has been available in select markets, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore, for almost a year. Earlier reports indicated that TikTok had dropped plans to bring Shop to the US and other parts of Europe after the company reportedly struggled to gain traction in the UK. However, TikTok seems to believe there is a market for Shop in the US given these ongoing tests.

Beyond TikTok Shop, the company has also invested in other shopping features. Last March, the app partnered with Instacart to allow food creators to create shopping lists linked to recipe videos. Later in June, it began testing a dedicated shopping feed, which served as a hub for products sold in the TikTok store, also in select marketplaces. In addition, she has experimented with direct purchases in different markets, such as the United Kingdom and several countries in Southeast Asia.

While TikTok continues to work on shopping features, its competing apps are scaling back some of their e-commerce efforts. Instagram removed the shop tab in January and...