TikTok wants to open warehouses
TikTok appears to be looking to create a new logistics and warehousing network in the United States to support its e-commerce efforts.
By Catherine Thorbecke, CNN Business
While seemingly every social media app is copying TikTok, TikTok now appears to be copying Amazon’s playbook.
TikTok appears to be looking to create a new logistics and warehousing network in the United States to support its e-commerce efforts, according to several job openings recently posted to its hiring site and LinkedIn page.
Like other social networks, TikTok has expanded into e-commerce to add revenue opportunities. TikTok currently offers a shopping option called TikTok Shop in select markets, including the UK and Indonesia, which lets creators and merchants sell products through the platform. It has also partnered with Shopify to enable shopping on the platform.
But with the latest job postings, which were first reported by Axios, TikTok seems to want to go even further. Instead of simply serving as a platform to reach customers, TikTok may be looking to provide logistical support to build what it calls “a brand new and better e-commerce experience.”
“By providing warehousing, delivery, and customer service returns, our mission is to help sellers improve their operational capability and efficiency, provide buyers a satisfying shopping experience and ensure fast and sustainable growth of TikTok Shop,” the company said in a job posting.
In one job posting, for example, the company says it’s looking for someone to “build the new fulfillment service from scratch” and be “responsible for the business development of fulfillment service of TikTok e-commerce logistics in US.”
Many of the roles are posted based out of Seattle, which is also home to Amazon’s first corporate headquarters. Amazon’s sprawling logistics and delivery network turned it into a central tool for numerous merchants and ensured it could offer a vast range of products with expedited deliveries.
A TikTok spokesperson declined to elaborate on the latest roles. In a statement to CNN, the spokesperson said the company is “focused on providing a valuable shopping experience in countries where TikTok Shop is currently offered across Southeast Asia and the UK, which includes providing merchants with a range of product features and delivery options.”
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