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TikTok Launches Standalone Shop App in Four South-East Asian Markets

The shopping app, live in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, gives TikTok's e-commerce arm its own home as it competes with Amazon and Temu.

By Nakoda News Desk

·1 min read

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TikTok's standalone Shop app is available in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines on iOS and Android.
TikTok's standalone Shop app is available in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines on iOS and Android.Photo: Emirates News Agency / Handout

TikTok has released a standalone TikTok Shop app in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. It is the first time the company's e-commerce business has had its own app rather than living inside the main video platform.

The app, on iOS and Android, was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, according to TechCrunch. TikTok did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment and has not said whether it will launch the app in more countries, including the United States.

A separate app gives TikTok Shop a place to sell to people who want to buy without scrolling through entertainment first. That puts it in more direct competition with dedicated shopping platforms such as Amazon and Temu. In the US, the app would also face Walmart and Target.

The app brings over the main features of TikTok's commerce business. Users can shop through livestreams and short videos, get personalised product recommendations, check out in the app, track orders and contact customer support. To get users to switch from the main TikTok app, it offers app-only deals, free shipping and first-order benefits. Its listing promises "secure payments for safe checkout".

TechCrunch noted that the move reverses a strategy Amazon tried in 2022, when it added Inspire, a TikTok-style feed of short shopping videos, to its own app. TikTok is now trying to pull shoppers the other way, from video into a dedicated store.

South-East Asia, where the app has launched, is one of TikTok Shop's most established regions. The company has also been moving beyond short video into games, restaurant guides, sports hubs, hotel booking and short dramas, and is exploring payments, according to TechCrunch.

Shopping still works inside the main TikTok app in markets where TikTok Shop operates. The company has given no timeline for taking the standalone app beyond the four launch markets.

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TagsProductsMarketingSalesRetailTechnologyMediaAsia-Pacific

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