TikTok in talks to open UK warehouses for TikTok Shop

Short-video app TikTok is proposing to launch a warehousing plan in the UK to support its ecommerce operations, LatePost reported.

Dubbed “Aquaman,” the plan will involve stocking products with consistent sales in local storerooms to speed up delivery times. Currently, shipments from China to the UK can take 10 to 15 days. The project aims to shorten this period to three to five days.

TikTok has already established fulfillment centers for merchants in China to further optimize logistics. The company suggests that merchants send products that sell over 200 pieces for US$2 and above to these centers.

Aside from the UK, the company has focused its ecommerce bid on Southeast Asia, having already rolled out TikTok Shop in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. In June, the short-video app’s daily sales in the UK reached US$300,000, while its sales in Indonesia amounted to US$100 million for the whole month. The company has made 50% of its gross merchandise value from this cross-border vertical.

TikTok is also demoing a Shop tab in Indonesia, which splits products by category, features a “perks” voucher section, and a page to keep track of billing, payment, and orders.

See also: Explaining TikTok’s ecommerce bet in Southeast Asia