"I find myself buying a lot of unnecessary things": TikTok algorithm has changed "the shopping game"

Gone are the days of receiving a mail-order catalog and circling the items you wished to buy with a bright red Sharpie. It’s almost like a recommendation from a friend.” Phaith Montoya, a beauty and lifestyle influencer with over 3 million followers on TikTok, told Salon that she now makes a purchase through TikTok Shop “every few days.” “My favorite thing about TikTok Shop is that the products just find me, right?” she said, referring to the app’s unique algorithm. “Amazon saw the future, knew it couldn't build a competitive tech architecture quickly so it decided it was better to join them than beat them.” We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism As TikTok Shop’s reach continues to grow, there are still many concerns to consider. “However, whilst TikTok could learn a lot from Amazon’s vast infrastructure – as TikTok to increase their footprint – it may also end up burning them if they share too much with a powerhouse like Amazon, especially if TikTok risks a ban or forced sale.” With TikTok Shop nearing the one-year anniversary of its launch in the U.S., many agree the e-commerce venture is hurtling online-shopping into the future. For Montoya, TikTok’s integration of retail into its user-focused algorithm has already changed “the shopping game.” “The shopping experience I feel like definitely changed a lot, and I can see a lot of retailers trying to follow suit in the future," she said.