TikTok, in addition to being a huge global social media platform, has quickly become a place for “social commerce,” defined by data and forecasting company Emarketer as “the sale of products or services ordered by buying directly on a social platform, or through clicking links on a social network that lead to the retailer’s product page with an immediate purchase option.”
TikTok Shop launched in the U.S. less than three years ago, in September 2023, and has seen astonishing growth: its U.S. sales grew by 407% in 2024, and another 108% in 2025 to reach US$15.82 billion, according to Emarketer data. This means it now holds 18.2% of all social commerce in the U.S., with the share expected to grow to 24.1% by 2027. (The other 75% or so is dominated mainly by Facebook Marketplace and Instagram.)
