TikTok is aiming to expand its local commerce business in the US, following the path that its Chinese counterpart Douyin took in the past.
The company is in the process of hiring nearly two dozen people across Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York to lead the charge in pairing local merchants and vendors with TikTok creators and users.
One job listing says that the company's immediate focus will be on top level service partners in travel, while another job posting noted that TikTok is seeking to onboard lifestyle, food, and travel creators to help drive local services adoption and monetization opportunities.
TikTok has routinely cited its positive impact on local businesses as part of its defense for remaining available in the US, claiming last year that more than 7M US businesses depend on the app for growth. It also claimed that the use of its advertising and marketing services by local businesses generated $5.3B in taxes paid to the US government in 2023.
TikTok Shop officially launched in the US in September 2023 and since then it's added shopping to its livestream product, with projections that TikTok Live will generate $77B in sales revenue globally by 2027.
Of course, TikTok's plans all depend on reaching a deal with the Trump administration, which involves divesting half of the business to an American company.
Last week, President Trump indicated that he would extend the deadline for TikTok to find a US buyer if a deal is not reached by the April 5th deadline, which is less than a month away. Trump told reporters, “If I need an extension, I will probably get it extended. We have a lot of interest in TikTok. China is going to play a role, so hopefully China will approve the deal.” Trump said on Sunday that his administration was in touch with four different groups about the sale of TikTok, but ByteDance has yet to comment on any of the rumors.