Exclusive: The iOS version of Douyin Mall is launched. Will Kuaishou and Xiaohongshu also launch e-commerce apps?

The launch of the iOS version of Douyin Mall marks the further development of the short video giant Douyin in the field of e-commerce. This move not only reflects Douyin's emphasis on e-commerce business, but may also indicate that other content platforms such as Kuaishou and Xiaohongshu will follow suit and launch their own e-commerce apps. This article will explore the characteristics of the Douyin Mall App, user experience, and the potential impact of this change on the e-commerce industry landscape.

On August 9, a new version of the TikTok app "Volcano Speed ​​Edition" was launched on the Apple App Store. The new app was transformed into "TikTok Mall". It has been more than 3 years since the last update. The Android version of "TikTok Mall" was launched as early as March 2024.

In terms of the account system, users can log in with one click through Douyin. After logging in, users can see the items they have added to the shopping cart in the shopping cart.

The differences between the Douyin Mall App and the Douyin App Mall Channel are:

1. When users open the Douyin Mall App, the main channel is shopping, while the Douyin App opens to videos. If you want to go to the mall area, you need to change the channel.

2. The "shopping cart" of the Douyin Mall App is in the middle area at the bottom, while the shopping cart of the Douyin App is in the upper right corner of the mall channel, which is a bit hidden.

3. Three new channels have been added to the top of the Douyin Mall App, including exclusive channels for new users, low-price flash sales, and great value purchases.

4. Mall hot searches and live broadcast hot searches have been added below the search box of the Douyin Mall App. The "Common Categories" in the Douyin App Mall channel do not appear above the former.

5. You can also watch videos on the TikTok Mall App.

6. The message page of the Douyin Mall App has shopping messages and order notifications at the front, while the message channel of the Douyin App has limited recommendations such as new followers and interactive messages.

7. There is no multi-function button in the upper left corner of the Douyin Mall App.

8. The "My" channel of the Douyin App is mainly focused on followers, fans, likes, etc., while the "My" channel of the Douyin Mall is mainly focused on shopping needs such as shopping carts and orders.

9. The wallet function of the Douyin Mall App is relatively hidden. Users need to swipe right in the middle area to enter "My Wallet", while the Douyin App sets the wallet function very obviously.

10. The “Hourly Delivery” function in the Douyin Mall App does not have a dedicated recommendation position. Users need to search for “Hourly Delivery” to enter the channel, while the mall channel of the Douyin App places “Hourly Delivery” in the upper right corner of the channel.

As a giant app that ranks among the top five in terms of daily active users in the Chinese market, Douyin's user base and importance are unquestionable. However, this also makes the Douyin App increasingly complex. Whether it focuses on short video live streaming or shopping, different emphases will produce different effects.

If Douyin had doubts about e-commerce in the past, then with the continuous expansion of Douyin e-commerce in the past two years, if Douyin wants to take its e-commerce business further, it is inevitable to separate e-commerce from the Douyin App. Therefore, it is normal for Douyin e-commerce to launch a dedicated App. Unexpectedly, Douyin's approach is to upgrade the "Volcano Speed ​​Version" that has not been updated for more than 3 years to the "Douyin Mall".

After our experience, we found that although the Android version of Douyin Mall has been online for testing, there are still many problems with the iOS version.

1. Network problem . A network error occurred when I searched for "Hourly Delivery". Sometimes when I opened the App homepage, there was no content on the main screen. I guess this will be improved with the launch of new versions.

2. The "10 billion subsidy" channel is too complicated . E-commerce platforms such as Pinduoduo, Taobao, and JD.com are now offering "10 billion subsidies". For users, the popularization of "10 billion subsidies" can enhance their trust in the channel. Although the price is the same, the trust in the 10 billion subsidy channel will be higher.

The "10 Billion Subsidies" of Pinduoduo, Taobao, and JD.com are all in very prominent positions. The entrance to the "10 Billion Subsidies" of Douyin Mall requires entering from the "Super Value Purchase" channel in the middle area. Users need to click one more time to enter the "10 Billion Subsidies" channel.

In this channel, Douyin Mall is also a bit "fancy". The display format of other platforms is clear at a glance, and users can clearly see the "snap-up price", while Douyin Mall takes a different approach and creates a price reduction curve, enlarging the font of "grab now", and the product price appears very small.

3. Group buying and delivery within 12 hours were not effectively integrated into the Douyin e-commerce app . Taobao and JD.com both have the "Nearby Shopping" function, where users can choose to buy goods from nearby merchants. This will greatly increase the value and influence of the platform, as well as the frequency of user shopping. The Douyin app itself also has group buying and delivery within 12 hours. Since the Douyin mall is an independent app, shouldn't it be inevitable to integrate users' shopping needs into the app? It can only be said that the new app was launched a little hastily.

If Pinduoduo, Taobao and JD.com are the second stage of the domestic e-commerce industry, then the addition of Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu and Video Account means that the domestic e-commerce industry has entered the third stage.

The launch of the Douyin Mall App means that it will officially compete with the three major platforms of Pinduoduo, Taobao, and JD.com. Will Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, and Video Account follow suit?