TikTok Shop, the e-commerce arm of TikTok, has revealed its expansion into various countries such as Germany, France, and Italy to solidify its position across Europe.
This significant move comes amid uncertainty about TikTok’s future in the U.S., where its Chinese owner, ByteDance, is legally required to secure an American buyer to avoid a potential ban.
Related: Perplexity shows interest in acquiring TikTok
TikTok Shop was founded in the U.K. in 2021 and released in the U.S. in September 2023, bringing exponential sales during the holiday season, Reuters reported.
The e-commerce platform has been preparing to captivate more European-based sellers, as many of its merchants currently ship products directly from China.
TikTok Shop U.K. head of operations Jan Wilk stated, "In France, Germany, and Italy, we are already working with merchants to get their products listed, and TikTok Shop will be available to our users from next Monday."
Carrefour, the hypermarket chain, will partner with TikTok Shop in France.
Meanwhile, the German retailers AboutYou and Cosnova are set to sell fashion and cosmetic products on their online retail stores.
TikTok Shop is famous for its discounted items and live-streamed sales, but Wilk outlined that the platform plans to expand, emphasising to the U.K.’s sales of luxury products.
Related: TikTok US acquisition discussions underway with four 'good' buyers
