Forget Amazon – the big new retailer to look out for this Black Friday is TikTok

Fall is in the air, which means Black Friday deals are near, and a new and unlikely retailer has plans to win the November holiday – TikTok. While TikTok is known for viral videos, the social media app just launched a new online marketplace, TikTok Shop, which allows you to buy products directly from the app, and the retailer now has plans to take a piece of this year’s Black Friday pie.

According to Bloomberg, TikTok plans to launch a massive Black Friday sale to compete with the likes of Amazon and Walmart – and is reportedly offering subsidized discounts of up to 50% to lure sellers to join its Black Friday program. The TikTok Black Friday sale will launch at 8 PM ET on November 23, and the Cyber Monday sale will occur from November 28 through November 30.

With over 150 million monthly active users on TikTok, it comes as no surprise that the social giant wants to introduce shoppable content to the app and try and compete with retailers like Amazon during this year’s Black Friday sale. Per Adobe Analytics, shoppers spent more than ever at the 2022 Black Friday sale, with a record amount of $9.12 billion. 

We expect this year’s sale to be no different as consumers are still struggling with inflation, and with TikTok joining the mix, it could be the biggest Black Friday shopping season yet.

Will TikTok improve this year’s Black Friday deals?

With TikTok joining the mix of retailers like Amazon and Walmart, do we think the social app will improve this year’s Black Friday deals? If you’re already on TikTok, shopping for Black Friday deals could be a game changer, as buying a viral beauty item or cheap kitchen device is just a few clicks away without ever leaving the app.

For non-TikTok users like myself, it might be a harder sell. I know that I can already shop for impressive Black Friday deals from well-known retailers like Amazon and Walmart, and I don’t need to download an app and create a profile to do so. In fact, thanks to the inclusion of TikTok, we could see even steeper discounts from Amazon and Walmart to keep shoppers away from the video-sharing app.

Keep in mind that we also have the second Amazon Prime Day sale, which has just been announced for October 10 and 11, that TikTok will have to compete with. Prime members will have access to record-low prices on Amazon devices and invite-only deals from brands like Sony, Dyson, and Samsung. Amazon’s October Prime Day sale will kick off the Black Friday shopping season, and we’ll be watching to see if TikTok can compete with the retail giant.