As you may see on this screenshot, shared by social media professional Matt Navarra, some customers are actually seeing a 3rd ‘Store’ tab within the app, alongside the standard ‘Following and ‘For You’.

TikTok’s examined out a few variations for a 3rd tab, together with its ‘Close by’ feed, highlighting native content material with some customers. And now, it’s additionally testing whether or not a devoted store itemizing may additionally work, with the tab connecting you direct to the TikTok Store show.

It’s the newest eCommerce experiment within the app, which has been working to search out one of the simplest ways to immediate extra buy conduct, in step with how Asian customers have warmed to its in-stream purchasing choices.

In-stream commerce is now the important thing revenue stream for the Chinese language model of the app, whereas TikTok’s additionally seeing stable take-up of the identical in different Asian markets, together with Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. However Western customers have up to now remained hesitant to mix their social media and purchasing experiences, preferring both bodily purchasing or devoted apps as an alternative.

TikTok’s been looking for a manner in, first specializing in live-stream purchasing, which it scaled again final 12 months attributable to lukewarm person response. With that preliminary push not resonating, TikTok is now taking a extra cautious strategy with its varied hopping checks, which embrace a Store tab on some retailer profiles, and a new in-app product showcase referred to as ‘Fashionable Beat’, which shows merchandise made by TikTok itself.

The latter looks as if a broader push to showcase its eCommerce potential, earlier than inviting different associate manufacturers in, whereas this new experiment will look at whether or not a extra up-front, simply accessible store tab will encourage expanded searching and shopping for conduct.

However primarily, TikTok doesn’t have a definitive manner ahead simply but. The underside line is that Western audiences are merely not as eager on in-app purchasing, which has slowed TikTok’s progress on this key monetization entrance.

Nevertheless it’s nonetheless experimenting, it’s nonetheless working to search out the best manner in.

As such, you may count on to see extra eCommerce checks within the app transferring ahead.