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ByteDance-owned Douyin launches stand-alone shopping app in China, heating up the competition against Alibaba, JD.com, PDD
- Douyin Mall was launched last week as a downloadable app for Android users in mainland China
- This initiative escalates ByteDance’s efforts to expand the reach of its social media operation into a potentially large e-commerce revenue stream
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Coco Fengin Beijing
ByteDance-owned Douyin, the Chinese sister app of TikTok, has introduced a stand-alone e-commerce platform on the mainland, ratcheting up the competition against domestic online shopping stalwarts Alibaba Group Holding, JD.com and Pinduoduo operator PDD Holdings.
Douyin Mall was launched last week as a downloadable app for Android users in mainland China, the world’s largest smartphone market. An Apple iOS version of the app was not released as of Tuesday.
The new app serves “as an extension of the Douyin platform, designed to elevate the overall shopping experience of [its] existing users”, a representative from the Chinese short video service provider’s e-commerce department said.
This initiative escalates ByteDance’s efforts to expand the reach of its social media operation into a potentially large e-commerce revenue stream, as the firm’s overall sales last year surged to more than US$110 billion on the back of its nascent online retail business via Douyin on the mainland and TikTok overseas.
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China’s Douyin performers stream outdoors at night to earn higher tips
China’s Douyin performers stream outdoors at night to earn higher tips
Online shopping via Douyin started in 2019 as a click-and-buy function within the short video app, similar to how TikTok Shop has fused overseas users’ online entertainment feed with impulse buying.
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