Meanwhile, the social media platform quietly began testing on June 1 a paid membership program for frequent TikTok Shop buyers called TikTok Shop Plus, similar to Amazon Prime. Testing for the monthly fee ranges from $6 to $15, according to sources as TikTok has not officially disclosed the pilot program. Coresight apparel and apparel analyst Aditya Kaushik told Footwear News that “TikTok Shop Plus could be relevant forfootwearbecause shoes are highly influenced by discovery, trends and social influence. ” He noted that while TikTok has been strong at creating demand around a product via styling videos, sneaker communities or through viral moments, the challenge it faces has been converting that initial interest into repeat purchases. Because footwear purchases are more occasional, brands will need to use TikTok not just to drive transactions but also to build loyalty through exclusive drops, limited releases, creator partnerships and personalize recommendations, he said.