TikTok has announced that, for the first time in the UK, users are now able to purchase fresh food directly through TikTok Shop.
The first fresh food brands to launch on TikTok Shop include much-loved pasta brand Pasta Evangelists, online fishmonger The Fish Society and The Veg Box Company.
TikTok brings viral food trends to the masses
Thanks to its own #FoodTok community, TikTok is now renowned for showcasing innovative recipes and culinary masterpieces from amateur cooks, food enthusiasts and professional chefs alike.
In fact, TikTok has become the catalyst for some of the biggest viral food trends over the past year. As a result, food-related content has now clocked up over 26 billion views on the platform.
Merchants can sell and work with creators directly
To take advantage of its position, TikTok is now selling fresh food directly through TikTok Shop. In doing so, the platform aims to have a significant impact on how food brands are engaging the next generation of food-lovers to drive sales.
Through TikTok Shop, each individual merchant will handle delivery directly, which means customers can seamlessly complete their purchase entirely on-platform. On top of this, merchants will also be able to work with creators and run exclusive TikTok LIVES, giving the #FoodTok community access to discounts and the content they’ve come to love, whilst also driving sales.
Speaking about the new feature, Patrick Nommensen, Senior Director, eCommerce Operations commented: “TikTok has made it easier than ever for food brands and creators to be discovered, and we have an active community of food lovers on the platform. Enabling fresh food brands and creators to sell directly to our community through a seamless transaction on TikTok Shop is a logical next step. There will also be a huge opportunity for new food brands looking for a springboard to market, and I am excited to see more fresh products available on the platform.”
TikTok selling fresh food – the view from Spike
Ever since its popularity exploded in 2020, TikTok has continually hit the headlines. In fact, just this year we’ve commented on how the platform has abandoned its live shopping feature in the UK, has been linked with disinformation campaigns, and has launched a new Clear Mode feature.
Constantly innovating and revolutionising in the social media space, TikTok appears intent on entirely changing the face of modern retail and eCommerce. Whether this initiative is successful enough to avoid the same fate as TikTok’s now abandoned live shopping feature remains to be seen. However, TikTok’s pivot to selling fresh food shows us that it will continue to be an innovator in the space and a major challenger to Meta-owned brands like Facebook and Instagram, which are almost entirely focused on the Metaverse instead of new features like fresh grocery shopping and live shopping.