TikTok Shop reaches 300,000 UK sellers as social commerce booms

As social commerce continues to disrupt traditional retail, over 300,000 UK small businesses are now selling on TikTok Shop, while the number of new sellers joining has increased 200% year-on-year, TikTok has reported.

From butchers’ shops racking up millions of likes, to beauty bloggers earning six figures in a day, it’s clear that no sector is off-limits when it comes to success. TikTok also argues these wins can extend to brick-and-mortar sales through something it dubs the “TikTok Shop halo effect”.

As the growth of social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop shows no signs of slowing down, we explore what’s fueling this rapid rise, and how sellers can position themselves to benefit.

Sellers are Flocking to TikTok Shop

To use internet parlance: sellers are running, not walking, to TikTok Shop. 

After launching on this side of the pond in September 2021, a total of 300,000 small UK businesses are selling on the platform, a decent proportion of the UK’s total four million online sellers. 

But what’s driving this rapid rise? According to TikTok, live shopping – the platform’s built-in feature that lets creators broadcast real-time videos and interact with viewers through live chats – is doing much of the heavy lifting. Sales through TikTok Live are up 55% year-on-year, with more than 6,000 live broadcasts running on the platform every day in the UK. 

As you’d expect, beauty and fashion brands continue to thrive, but it’s not just your usual suspects that are benefiting from TikTok Shop. Tradesman shops are also making a killing, like Wolverhampton-based Malik Butchers 

“Recently, we did a TikTok LIVE for three hours and sold £8,000 worth of meat which would typically take 3-4 days in my high street shop.” Manny Malik told ChannelX. 

According to TikTok, successes aren’t limited to the virtual world, either. Traction on the app is spilling over to growth elsewhere, in a pattern it’s describing as the “TikTok Shop halo effect”. 

While the initial discovery happens on TikTok Shop, TikTok argues that visibility can result in a corresponding uplift in branded search queries, wholesale partnerships, listings with larger retailers, and even an entry point into physical shops. 

It’s a compelling illustration of the power of social commerce: what starts as a 60-second video can reshape a business’s entire trajectory, as long as they know what they’re doing.

How to sell effectively on TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop has an extremely low barrier to entry. But as the growing number of sellers on the platform raises the competition, standing out requires more than just showing up. 

As a general rule of thumb, users are drawn to authentic content. Forget repurposing polished ads; opt for native, low-budget content that clearly displays your product in action. 

Some quick tips include:

• Post consistently – TikTok’s algorithm favours shops that have an active presence on the platform 

• Show, don’t tell – Avoid boring viewers. Keep videos interactive with product demos, unboxing clips, or before-and-after videos 

• Engage with your audience – Reply to and like comments to build trust, and please TikTok’s algorithm

• Use trending sounds and hashtags – Tap into what’s already circulating to boost your chance of getting on the For You Page

For TikTok Live, treat it as a digital storefront. Run sessions at consistent times so followers know when to tune in, answer questions in real time to build trust and establish a connection with your viewers, and use limited-time offers to create a sense of urgency during the stream. 

As more sellers pile onto the platform, standing out will only become harder. However, fundamentals remain the same: posting authentically, regularly, and being willing to experiment with different formats will make your content more likely to break through.