The Skyrocketing Popularity of TikTok Shop
by Mariana Reyes
Scrolling through TikTok used to mean entertainment. Now, it increasingly means shopping, often without realizing it. Over the past few years, TikTok transformed its platform from purely a social media app into a full-scale e-commerce site. Oftentimes, users may not even realize that they are viewing an advertisement for an item. Yet, sales from TikTok Shop are booming. In its first year, TikTok Shop processed over 650,000 orders, and sales from the shop are projected to reach $144.5 billion by 2027 (Erdly).
Recently, I saw a pair of Adidas sneakers I had been eyeing for $50, meaning the shoes were being sold for over 50% off their typical retail price. But why are the prices so affordable? TikTok seems to be incentivizing sales, hoping to encourage manufacturers to sell more products and entice users to make repeat purchases. And, it works! Forbes has reported that 81% of TikTok Shop purchases are made by returning customers, most of whom are between 18 and 24 years of age (McMillen).
In addition to clothing, beauty products have become some of the most aggressively discounted and strategically marketed items on TikTok Shop. Brands like Tarte are a prime example. Back in January, I purchased 5 maracuja lip balms for $35, when a single lip balm typically sells for around $20. And just the other day, I purchased a $60 blush for $23. Shoppers can often find major sales on eyeliner, skincare products, and other essentials.
TikTok Shop has grown so steadily in popularity over the past year or two that many major brands are hiring employees to manage their digital portfolio and inventory. Journalist Allison Smith, for example, reported that SharkNinja recently hired a full-time shop manager, a person in charge of amassing more sales through the platform. Other popular brands, such as Neutrogena, have social commerce manager positions for their digital storefronts (Smith).
We are living in an interesting era for e-commerce; the skyrocketing appeal of TikTok Shop shows us that people are drawn to the narrative around their purchases. What’s so distinct about it is that people are not searching up a specific product – they encounter the product while scrolling through their feed, making these flash sales and “limited time only” purchases feel more like a cool discovery than an everyday essential we might specifically look for on a platform like Amazon. Still, it is important to note that our shopping experiences are highly curated, driven by the algorithms that make up our feeds. We might not even notice it, but the way we make purchases is fundamentally changing, and TikTok Shop is a prime example of that.
Sources
Erdly, Catherine. “The TikTok Shop Sellers Behind Social Commerce’s $87 Billion Surge,” Forbes Magazine, 16 Feb. 2026, https://www.forbes.com/sites/catherineerdly/2026/02/16/the-tiktok-shop-sellers-behind-social-commerces-87-billion-surge/.
McMillen, Jen. “TikTok Shop Is Attracting Millions of Consumers: 7 Facts about Who They Are.” Forbes Magazine, 17 June 2024, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennmcmillen/2024/06/17/tiktok-shop-is-attracting-millions-of-consumers-7-facts-about-who-they-are/.
Smith, Allison. “Sales from major brands on TikTok Shop nearly doubled in 2025, drawing Ulta and Sally Beauty.” ModernRetail, 26 March, 2026, https://www.modernretail.co/technology/sales-from-major-brands-on-tiktok-shop-nearly-doubled-in-2025-drawing-ulta-and-sally-beauty/.
