TikTok opens first pop-up venue in London’s Westfield shopping center

Pankaj Singh Date: 2021-07-13 Technology

TikTok has reportedly opened its first pop-up location in the UK, thereby enabling fans to interact with successful TikTok influencers and create their own mini-films. The venue will be open until August 8.

The video-making platform has apparently collaborated with Westfield shopping center in West London to construct TikTok’s first For You House. The pop-up venue’s design draws inspiration from TikTok’s homepage that highlights trending videos.

Influencers like comedian Ehiz Ufuah, British teenager Kyle Thomas, freestyle footballers Jeremy Lynch & Ben Black, and chef Poppy O’Toole will provide sessions at £5, teaching how to create content on TikTok. Parents can also attend these sessions to understand the safety measures that can be implemented for their teenagers while using the platform.

Aspiring TikTok stars can book free sessions and use the venue for creating their own films. The venue will have many rooms that can offer a variety of backdrops like a kitchen, which will showcase trending cook-offs and recipes. A dressing room will conduct fashion, transformation, and beauty challenges.

Although the pop-up venue will not sell products like a conventional shop, event attendees will be offered free TikTok merchandise.

The pop-up venue’s opening comes as shopping centers are looking for ways to draw out consumers from digital entertainment in the comfort of their homes, a highly popular prospect since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, towards in-person experiences.

Landowners are reaching out to new partners to accommodate spaces since major chains like Topshop, Debenhams ceased operations across shopping centers and high streets, whereas retailers like John Lewis and Marks & Spencer began to close stores.

Social medial platforms like TikTok and Instagram have significantly assisted consumers in their shopping, and physical space allows them to introduce these platforms to potential new users.

The Marketing Director for UK events at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Harita Shah, supposedly commented that TikTok has a significant cultural influence and is a great source of motivation for their visitors, whether for their food fads or fashion trends.

Source credits:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jul/12/tiktok-pop-up-venue-uk-westfield-london-kyle-thomas-ehiz-ufuah