TikTok Shop has launched a prize to help British small and medium-sized businesses “harvest demand for homegrown goods”.
TikTok is putting up £750,000 in “dedicated support” including featured promotions, PR and marketing support, training and mentorship – to be split between five businesses.
British businesses that focus on selling locally produced goods of all types are eligible to apply to the scheme, “whether they are a bakery, fishmonger or farmer”, TikTok said.
“We know that the current economic climate can be challenging for small British businesses, with many experiencing a mixed financial picture,” said Jan Wilk, head of TikTok Shop UK. ”But unlike other digital shopping platforms, TikTok Shop is based on discovery commerce.
“Smaller businesses don’t need huge followings or big budgets to be seen,” Wilk added. “If you have a great British product, the For You Feed is your place to shine and find viral success, with your products and businesses able to be discovered by millions.”
The launch comes after research commissioned by TikTok Shop revealed that 83% of people say they would be more likely to buy British produce if it was more widely available, while 75% say they prefer locally sourced products over imports.
Reaching wider audiences via online platforms is “critical to the survival” of 84% small businesses in the survey, while 67% are considering using TikTok Shop to support their sales during the Christmas trading period.
Currently more than 200,000 small and medium-sized businesses sell through the TikTok Shop platform and more than 6,000 live stream Shop Lives are hosted daily.
The ‘Shop Local’ scheme is being fronted by farmer and conservationist Jimmy Doherty. As part of the launch, Doherty’s retail business Jimmy’s Farm Shop launched on TikTok Shop (@jimmysfarmhq) receiving support from the platform in reaching new audiences ahead of the Christmas trading period.
“For us at Jimmy’s Farm, it’s particularly exciting – our products are usually only available to buy here on the farm, so this marks our first real step into online selling,” Doherty said.
To be eligible, entries must not be currently trading on TikTok Shop and have fewer than 250 employees.
To enter, businesses must “create and share a TikTok video demonstrating their offering to their local community” and include the #TikTokShopLocal hashtag, between Tuesday 14 October and Thursday 13 November.
TikTok Shop was launched in the UK in 2021, allowing users to “transition from product discovery to purchase in just seconds”, TikTok said. That involves video content posts with embedded ‘buy’ buttons, and the ability to make products shown in live streams instantly shoppable.
Several fmcg brands are using it to sell products directly to users, among them Nivea, Britvic, Andrex, Free Soul, Wellgard and Ooh & Aah Cookies.
SMEs The Fat Butcher, The Chuckling Cheese Company, Dough Girl and The Veg Box Company, are also present on TikTok Shop.
In February, Lidl laid claim to be the first supermarket to sell through TikTok Shop, with the launch of high-protein products for gym users.
Last month, Asda made its first foray into TikTok Shop. Through a new initiative with breast cancer charity Tickled Pink, Asda has created a bundle of nine “family favourite” products, with all proceeds going to the charity.
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