TikTok Shop, as the name implies, allows merchants to sell their stuff through TikTok, and in return TikTok collects a fee.
Social commerce is already quite popular – I'm sure we’ve all ordered something we saw off Instagram before, then when it got delivered we probably regretted it – but even so, social commerce sales are projected to reach $144 billion by 2027 (with each shopper spending on average $1224).
So which brands sell the most on TikTok:
Shein, Temu, H&M, Nike, Goodwill, Etsy, Old Navy, eBay, and Amazon are all-star sellers on TikTok – meaning they sell a high majority of their products through the app.
So how big is the market? Well in 2025 it’s projected that the number of TikTok shoppers will reach 53.6 million.
People are spending more and more time on TikTok everyday – over 150 Americans are TikTok users, and they spend an average of 47.3 minutes per day on the app. And TikTok is where a lot of users first learn about products, a lot of the time through influencers – 60% of TikTokers are more likely to trust a brand that an influencer is promoting, than an in-feed TikTok ad but that doesn’t mean TikTok ads don’t work.
Female Gen Z shoppers spend the most money on TikTok shop – they are 3.2 times more likely to buy something on the app than any other generation/ demographic.
The categories they buy the most from include: fashion, beauty, books, electronics, and home goods.
If they are your target audience, and you have a brand that falls under one of the categories mentioned above, here’s how to advertise to this audience on TikTok.
You might be wondering as you read this – does my brand need to have a big following on TikTok to start selling on TikTok shop? The answer is no. When we look at the demand for some of TikTok’s biggest sellers in our Demand platform– some only have a following of 39.8K and others have millions, but they still sell similar volumes on TikTok, so don’t let a small following deter you.
Don’t let these minor details, like your follower count, keep you from entering this growing marketplace. The rise of TikTok shop reminds us of Amazon, and how most brands eventually jumped on the bandwagon and started selling their brand on there – TikTok has the same trajectory, so why wait? Here are the steps to get started:
1. Create a TikTok account for your brand if you don’t already have one, if you do – skip to step 1
2. Set up a TikTok seller account (this is currently only available in the United States, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore)
This is a great video to watch while setting up your account, that can guide you through the steps listed above:
3. Upload your products
4. Integrate your ecommerce website
5. Create TikTok content to promote your products
6. Consider using influencers or affiliate marketing
7. Join TikTok live shopping
8. Create TikTok Ads
9. Offer fast shipping and respond quickly to customer inquiries – TikTok rewards reliable sellers by giving them better visibility on the app
10. Scale your shop
TikTok Shop isn’t a passing trend – it's shaping up to be the best big marketplace for brands, especially ones in the clothing, beauty, and home goods space. Customers already spend nearly an hour on the app per day, so meet them where they’re at.
Gen Z is leading the spend (for now), and the opportunity to build awareness, drive sales, and grow your brand is right at your fingertips.
No matter your brand, the time to get started is now, before your competitors do. TikTok Shop is following the same path Amazon once did, so don’t wait to join the hype.