Walmart springs forward with livestream shopping on TikTok

Walmart has big plans for the TikTok short video platform.

Following a successful holiday-themed shoppable livestream event on TikTok in December 2020, Walmart is partnering with TikTok for “Spring Shop-Along: Beauty Edition.” The discount giant will host the event on its TikTok channel on Thursday, March 11, at 9 p.m. EST.

The 60-minute interactive tutorial will feature select TikTok creators displaying shoppable items. Creators will reveal their favorite Walmart beauty picks and demo their skincare, makeup and hair routines using the items. Viewers will be able to shop from an assortment of national, private and Black-owned beauty brands such as NYX, Maybelline, The Lip Bar, Bliss, Kim Kimble and Marc Jacobs fragrances; as well as receive beauty tips and tutorials on popular trends.

Customers will be able to shop live for items featured in creator content directly in the TikTok app, without having to leave the platform. With a tap on any product pin, viewers can add items to their carts where they can check out during or after the event.

According to Walmart, its initial December TikTok livestream shopping event drew seven times more views than anticipated and grew its TikTok following by 25%. The retailer is deepening its social commerce activities on the platform even as TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance is halting efforts to create a separate U.S. operation, which would be partially owned by a consortium including Oracle and Walmart.

“We will continue to bring more shopping experiences to TikTok in the coming months by partnering with creators to highlight different products via different formats,” said William White, chief marketing officer, Walmart U.S., in a corporate blog post. “We are excited to test, learn and iterate on what’s best for users as we innovate and chart new territory in social commerce.”