Walmart partners with TikTok to sell merchandise while live-streaming

[BENTONVILLE] Walmart, which is looking to invest in TikTok, said on Thursday it would partner with the Chinese-owned video-sharing app to sell items seen on a live-stream by creators featuring the retailer's fashion merchandise.

Walmart said viewers on TikTok, which reaches 100 million US users a month, can shop for fashion items featured in content from popular creators without having to leave the platform. The live-stream will take place on Friday on Walmart's profile page on TikTok.

The live-stream will feature national brands like Champion, Jordache, Kendall + Kylie and some private brands including Free Assembly, Scoop and Sofia Jeans, Walmart said.

"It gives us a new way to engage with users and reach potential new customers," William White, Walmart's US chief marketing officer, wrote in a blog post.

The world's largest retailer's planned investment in TikTok will help it engage with younger audience and supercharge its battle against Amazon.com in e-commerce and online advertising. But political tensions between the United States and China and uncertainty continue to stand in the way.

Walmart's online sales have catapulted during the Covid-19 pandemic as customers avoiding crowds fearing they would contract the virus are shopping more from the comfort from their homes.

REUTERS