Dive Brief:
- With a potential ban looming, TikTok Shop generated more than $100 million in single-day sales on Black Friday, triple the amount of sales from that day last year, the social media platform announced Dec. 3.
- Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the share of TikTok shoppers spiked 165% year over year. Among the top-selling brands were Crocs, Fenty Beauty, Estée Lauder and The Ordinary, according to the announcement.
- The top products customers purchased included makeup, skin care, fragrances, personal care products, menswear, indoor furniture, kitchen appliances, fitness items and sporting equipment.
Dive Insight:
After launching TikTok Shop in the U.S. in September 2023, the e-commerce hub has surged in sales and viewership during this holiday season. Video views with the #tiktokshopblackfriday or #tiktokcybermonday garnered more than 4 billion views and 3.5 billion views, respectively, TikTok said. Plus, Grammy-nominated rapper Nicki Minaj had more than 172 million viewers during her TikTok Shop Live, per the company press release.
Beyond boosting well-known brands, TikTok touted the success of up-and-coming businesses on its platform. Small and mid-sized companies brought in a third of sales during TikTok Shop’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns.
“TikTok is the go-to place this holiday season for beauty tutorials, gift-wrapping hacks, fashion inspiration, fun new toys, travel must-haves, seasonal recipes, and so much more,” Nico Le Bourgeois, head of U.S. operations for TikTok Shop, said in a statement. “And whether it’s a gift to make this holiday season unforgettable for someone, or for yourself, TikTok Shop makes it easy to be inspired and find the perfect something for everyone.”
TikTok Shop’s sales boom comes as no surprise, given the research suggesting that shoppers have been turning to the social network to find gift inspiration and, ultimately, to buy their holiday presents. More than half (55%) of respondents to a survey from the marketing firm MGH said they had already found gift ideas on TikTok. Meanwhile, a report from Fiverr found that more than half (54%) of Gen Z shoppers said they will find their holiday presents on TikTokShop alone.
But as TikTok Shop flourishes in the U.S., the platform’s future is uncertain. A U.S. appeals court tossed out TikTok’s attempt to stop the U.S. government from requiring the company to sell itself to a new owner. As a result, the social media company could be barred from the U.S. as soon as Jan. 19, 2025.
