TikTok’s in-app shopping push is steadily gaining steam, not as fast as it has in China, but the platform is gradually driving more and more sales.

Which is a key focus for TikTok, especially given that in-app sales in the Chinese version of the app (Douyin) generated close to $US500 billion in sales last year.

That’s a lot of motivation for TikTok to keep pushing this element, and this week, TikTok has published a new report which looks at how TikTok shopping is evolving, and how brands can tap into this element.

The report is based on a study of 3,876 TikTok users, conducted by Ipsos, in order to glean more insight into how they feel about shopping in the app, product offerings, simplicity, etc.

You can download the full 27-page report here, but in this post, we’ll take a look at some of the key notes.

First off, the report looks at how TikTok drives eCommerce behavior, and the advantages it has over other social apps in this regard.

As per the report:

“Unlike other platforms that rely on a social graph, TikTok leverages an interest graph to connect with both people and brands. This approach curates content for users to discover based on their individual interests and interactions on the platform, rather than their social connections. By doing so, TikTok has successfully introduced and popularized niche and unique topics, fostering a sense of digital intimacy at scale by catering to a person’s specific interests on the platform.”

Indeed, the data also shows that shoppers feel more aligned to product discovery on TikTok because it’s both relative to their interests, and the items are demonstrated by creators that they trust.

User responses underline this element, noting that TikTok provides more authentic, real-world insight from creators that viewers align with.

What’s more, TikTok users praise the simplicity of TikTok’s in-stream shopping approach.

In addition to audience response data, the report also includes a range of tips and notes on how brands can make the most of their in-app selling efforts, with strategic pointers for retailers.