TikTok has launched Shop Local, a support scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the UK. The competition supports the sale of home goods to UK consumers with packages to help local businesses set up and start selling on the platform.
With Shop Local, TikTok, the hugely popular social media platform owned by China’s ByteDance, is targeting UK companies with little or no experience of selling online. The focus is not international but specifically local; as the name suggests.
Demonstration of the local menu
According to TikTok, 83 percent of UK consumers would buy more UK-made products if they were more affordable. That’s why TikTok Shop is investing £750,000 to help five selected businesses grow on the platform. Jimmy Doherty, farmer and TV personality, is the face of Shop Local.
TikTok Shop helps five selected businesses grow
To be eligible for the £150,000 grant, companies must create and share a TikTok video demonstrating their offering to the local community, including a hashtag and @-mention. They must sell local products, employ no more than 250 people, and must not yet be active on the TikTok Shop.
The growth of TikTok in the UK
TikTok introduced its shopping feature in the UK in late 2021, marking the first launch of the TikTok store outside of Asia. Initially, interest from British shoppers was somewhat lacking, which reportedly delayed expansion into other countries. However, interest in TikTok’s shopping options in the UK has increased in the last year.
TikTok Shop UK revenue to grow 180% in 2024.
NielsenIQ research, cited by TikTok, shows that TikTok Shop was the UK’s fastest-growing online retailer last year, with a 131% year-on-year increase in shoppers and a 180% increase in revenue. The number of sellers has doubled. They can choose to use Fulfilled by TikTok, or FBT for short.
TikTok Store in Europe
TikTok Shop is now available in Ireland and major continental European e-commerce markets such as Spain, Germany, France and Italy. FBT is also available or soon to be introduced in these markets, with TikTok partnering with Fiege for its fulfillment service in Germany.