Buy & Sell on social mediaTikTok Shop also launches in Germany today

With TikTok Shop, registered merchants can offer their goods on the platform. This allows them to sell products directly in the app. Users do not have to leave the app to complete the purchase, as shipping information and payment methods are stored directly in TikTok. Products can be offered in different places on TikTok:

In-feed videos and LIVE shopping: products are displayed directly in the video or in a live stream. In this case, the video or live stream usually contains information about the advertised product. By clicking on the product, users can add it to their shopping cart or buy it directly.

Product Showcase: TikTok describes this function as follows: "Users can browse product tiles, read reviews and purchase the respective product directly via the profile of their favorite brand without leaving the app. Companies also have the option of compiling individual product collections directly via their profile."

Store tab: In future, there will be a Shop tab in the TikTok navigation bar. There, users will be shown personalized product recommendations that they can search through.

Store Ads: In future, retailers will also be able to offer their products for direct purchase in the app via advertising.

At the launch of TikTok Shop in Germany, only a handful of companies are offering their products on TikTok. However, this could change in the future. TikTok Shop has been available in the UK for some time and, according to the company, over 200,000 retailers are active there. It is therefore to be expected that content on TikTok will also be more commercial in Germany in the future. So what do parents need to consider?

Correct age information

Accounts of people under the age of 18 can view but not buy the products on offer. However, this protective measure only applies if the correct date of birth was entered when registering. Children can still provide false information when they are asked to enter their age once at and thus circumvent all security measures. As a parent, either set up the account together with your child or check your child's account afterwards. If your child has given false information when registering, a new account must be created. It is not possible to change the age at a later date.

Educating about advertising and marketing

With its store, TikTok aims to combine "entertainment, community and discovery into a unique shopping experience". However, this mixture of entertainment and commercial interests can be problematic for children and young people. In future, they will have to learn to better recognize which creators are pursuing which interests and which content is advertising. It is to be expected that there will be significantly more content on TikTok in the future that attempts to persuade users to make purchases in a more or less subtle way. Here are a few things you can pass on to your children:

• Dubious product recommendations: Don't trust product recommendations if the recommended product is also being sold.
• Bargains and discounts: Be careful when unbeatable prices and high discounts are offered. It is best to check the price on a comparison portal before making a purchase. If the price is significantly lower than that of other retailers, it may be a fraudulent offer .
• Beware of sales tricks: Typical tricks such as artificial scarcity ("Only two items left!") or alleged time pressure ("Order in the next 5 minutes and benefit from a 50% discount!") can be used to pressure users into making impulse purchases .
• Watch out for influencers: They can exploit their status as a trustworthy person to persuade their community to make purchases.
• Critical consumption: Before making a purchase, it can be worth considering why you want the product. Is it really needed? Are there perhaps better alternatives? And are there perhaps good reasons not to buy it?