TikTok Shop: The New Power Turning Cultural Trends into Sales

What is TikTok Shop?

TikTok Shop is a service that allows users to purchase products directly while watching videos on the TikTok app. In other words, while scrolling through an engaging video, you might see a product featured below it — and with a single tap, you can place an order instantly.

This is very different from Amazon’s traditional search-based shopping model. TikTok Shop is what marketers call a “scroll to shop” experience — the path from watching content to making a purchase is almost seamless. Some marketers have even called it “the Shopify of 2025.”

But TikTok Shop is not just a marketplace. It’s a new phenomenon born at the intersection of culture, trends, and commerce. Businesses are no longer only building websites — they are setting up stores inside TikTok itself, meeting consumers where they already spend their time and engaging with them directly.

Shopping on TikTok Shop

The most powerful weapon of TikTok Shop is live shopping. Think of it as the modern version of QVC or traditional teleshopping. During a live stream, viewers can:

• See the product in action

• Ask questions instantly to the host or brand

• Purchase on the spot with the urgency of a limited-time “now or never” offer

This format blends entertainment and commerce in real time, turning casual viewers into buyers within minutes.

📊 TikTok’s own research reveals:

• Gen Z users are 3x more likely to make a purchase on TikTok Shop compared to other generations.

• On Black Friday 2024, TikTok Shop generated over $100 million in sales in just a single day.

This is clear evidence that on social media today, “watching” and “shopping” are no longer separate experiences — they’ve merged into one seamless journey.

From Cultural Trends → To Sales Engines

TikTok is no longer just a platform for fun short videos — it has become one of the most powerful engines for creating cultural trends that directly drive sales. What starts as a viral moment on TikTok can quickly reshape what people buy, not only online but also on store shelves.

📌 Examples that prove TikTok’s cultural commerce power:

• Labubu collectible toys — A viral wave in the UK led to over 1.1 billion views, and sales skyrocketed by 819%.

• Dad-fit jeans — Once a niche style, TikTok trends pushed sales up by 27%.

• BookTok — A community of readers sharing reviews and recommendations on TikTok has transformed the global bestseller charts, making certain books sell out in bookstores overnight.

In short: If your product becomes a trend on TikTok, it doesn’t just go viral — it sells. The ripple effect moves from videos, to carts, to checkout counters.

Case Study: The UK Beauty Market

TikTok Shop has already become a major disruptor in the UK’s £30 billion beauty industry, ranking as the fourth-largest beauty retailer in the country. What makes this rise so striking is how quickly TikTok has gone from being a social media app to a full-fledged commerce channel.

📊 Survey Insights:

• Nearly 80% of UK consumers say TikTok content has directly influenced their beauty purchase decisions.

• Viral beauty trends on TikTok — from skincare routines to makeup hacks — are shaping not only online sales but also what products shoppers look for in physical stores.

TikTok Shop vs. Amazon: Two Different Paths to Commerce

When you put TikTok Shop and Amazon side by side, the strategic contrast becomes very clear:

• Amazon is a search-based marketplace. Shoppers already know what they want — they type in a product, compare prices, read reviews, and then make a deliberate purchase. It’s transactional and intentional.

• TikTok Shop, on the other hand, is built on discovery commerce — a model where consumers stumble upon products they didn’t even know they wanted. You’re scrolling through videos, laughing at a meme or learning a hack, and suddenly you see a skincare item or pair of jeans trending. Curiosity and FOMO (fear of missing out) push the viewer from “just watching” to “just buying.”

Business Insider’s 2025 report called TikTok Shop “the fastest-growing commerce ecosystem”. It’s not simply another online store — it’s an impulse engine, fueled by culture and trends. That said, the platform has its limits. High-priced items (think $200 pickleball paddles) don’t perform as well here. Why? Because TikTok Shop’s audience is price-sensitive and trend-driven. Consumers expect affordable, fun, and instantly gratifying purchases, not big-ticket investments.

How to Stand Out on TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is growing so fast that simply “being there” isn’t enough. To win, brands need to build strategies that combine cultural relevance with sharp e-commerce tactics. Here are the core ways to differentiate:

• In-Feed Product Tags: Attach product links directly to your videos. This transforms a fun or educational clip into a seamless shopping experience — viewers don’t have to leave the app, they can buy instantly.

• Creator Storefronts: Influencers can now host a store tab inside their profile, where they showcase and sell their favorite products. For brands, partnering with the right creator means instant access to their loyal follower base.

• Live Shopping: Think of this as QVC 2.0. During live sessions, creators can demo products, answer questions in real time, and create urgency with limited-time offers. It’s interactive, entertaining, and it shortens the gap between discovery and purchase.

• Analytics That Matter: Performance on TikTok Shop isn’t measured only by sales — it’s about understanding the metrics that drive long-term growth:

  o   GMV (Gross Merchandise Value): The total value of products sold.

  o   AOV (Average Order Value): How much the average customer spends in a single purchase.

  o   CLV (Customer Lifetime Value): The long-term value of keeping one customer engaged. By tracking these, brands can fine-tune everything from pricing to influencer partnerships.

• Seasonal Campaigns: Just like Amazon or traditional retail, TikTok Shop thrives during peak shopping periods. Black Friday, back-to-school, and holiday campaigns are powerful cultural moments where smart content + commerce can multiply results.

In the Mongolian Context

For Mongolian businesses, the lessons from TikTok Shop are quite straightforward:

• High youth engagement on social media → TikTok is already the primary platform capturing young people’s attention.

• E-commerce is only beginning to gain traction in Mongolia, which means that if a TikTok Shop–like model emerges, it could very quickly reshape consumer behavior.

• Opportunities for SMEs → Small and medium enterprises in Mongolia have the potential to leverage TikTok-style content. If they can use social-driven commerce strategically, they may showcase their products not just locally but on a global stage.

Conclusion

TikTok Shop represents a new force that merges culture, content, and commerce into a single stream.

• It is a trend-making engine.

• It is a direct sales channel.

• It is the inevitable platform of future e-commerce.

If your brand is absent on TikTok Shop today, you risk becoming “invisible” in the social lives of your customers. But if you use it wisely, your content will no longer be just another video—it will transform into a shoppable trend that drives both culture and commerce.