TikTok reportedly planning to open fulfillment centers to compete with Amazon

The TikTok logo is seen on a smartphone.
(Image credit: Mateusz Slodkowski/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Amazon is undoubtedly the king of the e-commerce industry, but the online giant may be getting some competition from an unlikely source: Social media company TikTok.

Axios reported Tuesday that TikTok is planning to open a number of fulfillment warehouses across the U.S., as evidenced by a dozen new job postings from the company on LinkedIn. One of these listings said that the warehouses would "help sellers improve their operational capability and efficiency, provide buyers a satisfying shopping experience and ensure fast and sustainable growth of TikTok Shop."

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TikTok is one of a number of online companies attempting to compete with Amazon, whose revenue reached $469 billion in 2021, per Statista. This new e-commerce push is just one way that TikTok is reportedly attempting to make its mark in online shopping, as the Financial Times reported that the company is also considering implementing a live-shopping feature, similar to QVC, in time for the upcoming holidays.

Similar e-commerce programs from TikTok are already active in places like Asia and the U.K.

The TikTok news notably broke the same day that Amazon launched its second Prime Day of the year, one of the company's busiest days.

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.