Dec. 17, 2020
By William White, Chief Marketing Officer, Walmart U.S.
This year, we’ve been driving innovation in several ways to create engaging experiences for our customers. And with millions of our customers on TikTok, we’ve continued to grow our presence, creating big moments with our hashtag challenges. Naturally, when TikTok began exploring a new shoppable product, we jumped in to pilot the solution. I’m thrilled to close out 2020 innovating on behalf of customers in our fastest growing social community.
So, what does this mean for customers? During a Walmart livestream, the TikTok community can shop for Walmart fashion items featured in content from some of the app’s most popular creators without ever having to leave the platform. We’re excited that we have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this innovation in a shoppable livestream – a first on TikTok in the U.S. It gives us a new way to engage with users and reach potential new customers, while bringing our own brand of fun – with the help of fashion-loving TikTok creators – to the platform.
This first-of-its-kind livestream shopping experience will take place this Friday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. EST on the Walmart profile page on TikTok. That’s when 10 TikTok creators, including Michael Le (@justmaiko), who is loved for his creative dances and is one of TikTok’s most followed users with nearly 43 million followers, and other creators on the rise will come together for a one hour shoppable variety show, called the “Holiday Shop-Along Spectacular.”
During this special event, these TikTok creators will reveal their favorite Walmart fashion finds in a way that’s uniquely their own – whether that’s an inside look at their closet, a living room runway show or a fashion-forward dance-off. The show will be built around the fun of fashion, as these creators unwrap different styles and try on looks that can be found at Walmart. We are showcasing a mix of national brands, like Champion, Jordache, Kendall + Kylie and some of our own private brands, including Free Assembly, Scoop and Sofia Jeans. It promises to be a fun and interactive event, and because it’s TikTok, we’ll have a whole bunch of creative surprises up our sleeve.
We’ve shortened the distance from inspiration to purchase by making it shoppable. The TikTok community will be able to tap on a product when they see a Walmart fashion item they like during the event. This makes it easy to add the item to their cart and check out, all while doing what they love – enjoying fun content from their favorite creators.
We’re constantly looking for ways to innovate the shopping experience for our customers. We’re moving faster than ever to find new and improved ways to better serve our customers and meet them where they are. We created this event for, about and by our community, reflecting the lives, passions and styles of a diverse set of creators, so everyone watching will feel represented, no matter who they are or how they outfit their closet.
We’re excited to engage with TikTok on this new experience and learn what’s possible for shopping on a platform that brings its community so much joy. We can’t wait to see what we learn. And we can’t wait to see what you like, comment on, share – and shop – from the show.
