TikTok Shop has rolled out a wave of TikTok Shop live commerce and in-feed selling tools for U.K. merchants, from photo-based shoppable posts to new livestream mechanics.
Shoppable carousels — no video needed
Merchants can turn product images into swipeable, shoppable posts. “Upload two or more images, link your products and publish. Five to seven images is the recommended range,” TikTok said — a quick way to test a new product or refresh a bestseller.
New livestream selling mechanics
- Group deal: a discounted price unlocked by a group sales target
- Price cut: hit a group goal during a live session to cut the price for all participants
- Second chance: re-engage the next highest bidders in an auction
- Multi-channel selling: run auction and fixed-price offers in the same stream
- Flexible inventory control: reserve stock for livestreams while selling the rest across the platform
Subscriptions and automated ads
Eligible products can be sold on subscription for recurring purchases. GMV Max Net Sales Boost automatically creates and optimizes ads for eligible products that aren’t yet advertised.
Why TikTok keeps pushing live shopping
Live commerce drove much of Douyin’s revenue success in China, and TikTok users are slowly warming to it. For context on TikTok Shop’s scale, see TikTok Shop Now Holds 2% of U.S. Online Retail, and on payments, TikTok Is Preparing In-App Payments for the U.S..
Takeaways for sellers
- Repurpose product photography into carousels before investing in video.
- Design lives around collective buying — show the group target on screen.
- Plan ahead in other markets, as TikTok Shop often expands features market by market.