TikTok Shop is no longer a novelty. Myke Hamilton and Laura Selby, managing partners at IF Agency, explain why brands that treat it as a living, breathing channel can turn content, community, and commerce into a long-term growth engine.
TikTok Shop is no longer a novelty, it’s now a retail heavyweight. UK social commerce is on a steep upward climb, projected to grow from £7.4bn in 2024 to nearly £16bn by 2028 — more than doubling in just a few years.
Meanwhile, TikTok Shop continues to surge globally: GMV topped $33.2bn in 2024, more than doubling from the year before.
With 24.8m UK users spending around 50 hours a month on the app, and over half already shopping via TikTok in 2025, it’s clear this channel means business.
TikTok Shop is like a Tamagotchi
Remember those little digital pets from the 90s? They thrived only if you fed them, nurtured them and checked in often. Leave them unattended and things quickly went wrong.
Well, TikTok Shop is much the same. It needs time, consistency, and care to reach its potential.
Brands that treat it as a living, breathing channel — fuelled by creativity, optimisation and regular attention — see it evolve from novelty into necessity.
And like levelling up a Tamagotchi, small, consistent investments compound. Stronger content fuels discovery, discovery builds community, and over time brands unlock growth stages others never reach. The prize isn’t just sales — it’s lasting brand equity.
More than a shop window
TikTok Shop isn’t just another ecommerce storefront. It’s a place where content, community, and commerce combine.
TikTok’s main purpose is as an entertainment platform, built for discovery. People rarely open the app with a purchase in mind — they stumble across products through creators they trust or content that makes them stop scrolling and buy upon impulse.
That’s why TikTok Shop has a dual purpose: it delivers direct conversions while simultaneously building brand relevance and presence. Done well, it doesn’t just create transactions — it creates fans.
The pillars of levelling up
Success comes from a strategic balance of activity across four core pillars:
Shoppable content: Entertaining, native videos that sell while also shaping your brand voice in-feed.
Affiliates: Creators who expand reach and credibility, acting as advocates as well as sales drivers.
Lives: Real-time educating moments that drive purchase urgency and GMV, but also function as brand stages.
Ads: Paid campaigns created for TikTok’s culture, driving discovery and reinforcing brand positioning through repeated, relevant exposure.
When these pillars work together underpinned by constant optimisation (or as we call it, ‘Shoptimisations’), TikTok Shop stops being just a transactional channel and becomes a brand channel.
Proof in practice
The results are already clear. SharkNinja grew the electricals category from £700,000 to over £6m a month, not just selling air fryers but cementing itself as the brand for kitchen innovation. L’Oréal and Garnier transformed beauty by combining creator tutorials, affiliate networks, and compelling discounting — embedding their brands into TikTok’s beauty culture, not just its sales charts.
These examples show that when established brands take TikTok Shop seriously, they don’t just compete — they redefine the market.
A brand opportunity you can’t ignore
TikTok Shop isn’t slowing down; the platform is becoming ingrained in consumer habits. For brands willing to invest in nurturing it with strategy, creativity, and consistency, the payoff goes well beyond a sale. It’s about building brand resonance, cultural relevance, and long-term loyalty.
Are you ready to treat TikTok Shop like the powerful brand-building channel it is?
