Walmart taps TikTok for livestream event
Walmart is betting that TikTok isn’t just for watching viral videos. The retailer is betting the popular app can rewire how we shop.
Walmart will have a first-of-its-kind “shoppable” livestream event at 8 p.m. ET Friday.
Dubbed the “Holiday Shop-a-Long Spectacular,” Walmart says it will be a one-hour variety show with 10 popular TikTok creators. Michael Le, @justmaiko, who has more than 43 million followers, will host.
“We want to reach our customers where they are and there are millions and millions of them on TikTok,” William White, Walmart’s U.S. chief marketing officer, told USA TODAY. “We also want to shorten the distance between inspiration and purchase.”
During the livestream, TikTok creators will show off their favorite Walmart fashion items. Pins will pop up to purchase the items without leaving the platform, White said.
“We think it’s a great way to create a seamless shopping experience,” he said.
The social network favored by young audiences is used by more than 100 million Americans.
Walmart and Oracle are in the process of purchasing TikTok’s U.S. operations.
On Dec. 7, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s attempts to ban TikTok. Both Walmart and Oracle would have a financial stake in the platform.
In late October, TikTok created a channel for Shopify merchants to help them connect with new audiences through the video-sharing app’s business functions.
Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s vice president of global business solutions, said in a statement that creators and brands “have found a creative outlet to connect with audiences through TikTok LIVE.”
Walmart announced its online ordering deadlines this week for both pickup and delivery. Saturday at 2 p.m. local time is the cutoff for free two-day shipping on eligible items, while Dec. 21 is the deadline for free next-day delivery.