TikTok and the live shopping revolution

When most people think of TikTok, they think “entertainment”: videos of teens dancing, live vlogs from creators showcasing their lavish lifestyles, and funny content that keeps us scrolling for hours on end. But TikTok is not only an entertainment hub, it’s one for commerce as well: pioneering the world of in-app shopping as well as live shopping.

As creators have built massive profiles on TikTok, small businesses have done the same, not only marketing their products, but selling them too. As a Gen Zer, most weeks I’m spending between 20 to 30 hours on TikTok, so for these small businesses, the For You Page (FYP) is valuable “real estate”, meeting users where they’re actively spending time.

The first product I bought from TikTok Shop was