TikTok is The Exotic Time Machine (1998)exploring the local life services sector in Southeast Asia as it tries to replicate sister app Douyin’s path in China. According to a recent job posting on the company’s official careers website, its venture into services aims to “make the daily life experience richer, more unique and more innovative.” Chinese media outlet 36Kr quoted a TikTok service provider in Indonesia as saying that some of the short video app’s users are already exposed to discounted meal deals in their TikTok feed as part of an initial beta test in Indonesia and Thailand. In China, Douyin offers group-purchase dining vouchers that users can buy at a discounted price before heading to offline outlets to use them. The Chinese service has now expanded to include a wide spread of vendors covering everything from sightseeing tickets to leisure activities. [36Kr, in Chinese]
